A Mutant's Hero Academia
by Tebocchi
Summary: Akano Yumi was a completely normal young girl (as normal as one could be in a superhuman society), beloved by her family and friends. Thought to be quirkless for a time, Yumi's powers awakened after a horrible incident. A quirk wasn't the only thing she'd gained that day, with it came memories of her past life. Reincarnated! Jean Grey x Multiple
1. Summary

**Jean Grey had grown up in a world where mutants existed. They were every bit as human as anyone, but they possessed a unique genetic trait commonly called the X-gene, and it caused their development of superhuman abilities that manifested at a young age.**

**After unfortunate events of caused by a space mission gone wrong, Jean Grey was possessed by an incredibly powerful and volatile cosmic force. Unwillingly and accidentally hurting people she cared about in the process, Jean was filled with remorse and an incredible amount of guilt.**

**In order to save her family and b the rest of the world from herself and the power within her, Jean sacrificed herself and died in a burst of energy in the form of a phoenix.**

*****

**In the 21st century, mutants were hated, feared and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than that they are mutants. The humans didn't know that in a couple of hundreds years time into the future, the world would become a superhuman society, and more than 80% of the world's population would have some kind of special trait. Although the mutations were now called "Quirks".**

**Akano Yumi was a completely normal young girl (as normal as one could be in a superhuman society), beloved by her family and friends. Thought to be quirkless for a time, Yumi's powers awakened after a horrible incident. A quirk wasn't the only thing she'd gained that day, with it came memories of her past life.**

**Follow Akano Yumi in her journey of self redemption and path to becoming a true hero!**

**Reincarnated! Jean Grey x Multiple**

_Ps. You don't have to be an X-men or Marvel fan to read, I explain everything regarding Jean's past _


	2. One

Last name: **Akano** 緋乃; meaning "scarlet, red"

First name: **Yumi** 優美; meaning "tenderness, beauty"

~

Yumi was six years old when she regained memories of her past life.

All of her memories came to her slowly and then all at once, like puncturing a tiny hole in a balloon only for it to explode a moment later.

Yumi was laying down on her back on the hospital bed with her eyes closed. The machine she was attached to was steadily releasing a beep sound in the distance, echoing in her slumber.

Her eyelids clenched, she was grinding her teeth in her sleep.

She was remembering.

Beep.

**She saw it. The moment Jean Grey got possessed.**

**Being an X-man, being a hero to the public, performing missions in the name of the government, it all was too surreal for her. But it beat being scorned and rejected by society any day.**

**Yes, it was a space mission that caused all of this. Jean was stuck behind repairing the NASA space aircraft when the solar flare slinked towards the X jet. Jean didn't think twice about sacrificing herself for the sake of her friends inside of the jet, her family, the only family she's ever known. So as she floated there in the nothingness of space, Jean extended out her hand in a hurry, using her telekinesis, whatever was left of her energy to draw that cloud-like being towards her instead. It didn't resist, if anything it complied to her call. This force wanted her, Jean could feel it. It sensed Jean's unlimited potential while touching her subconscious. It craved her to the point where it didn't care what it wrecked in its way to reach her.**

**The crimson cloud surrounded the red haired telepath in a field that didn't contain air nor even gravity. It made her levitate around, controlling her every movement just before it rushed to enter her.**

**Jean screamed; she could feel her veins burning as the fire consumed and possessed every inch of her being, marking it as its own. She was thrashing, trying to withstand the heat around her whole body, clawing at her chest because it was burning her alive, coughing violently in a futile attempt to get it out.**

_Beep_.

**Jean lost control over herself in the suburban neighborhood.**

**All these years, she thought she'd lost both her parents in a horrific car accident, stripping her of any blood relatives. She was told so by the man who took her in. But the creature inside her broke down all those lies, it broke the psychic barriers that Professor Xavier, her caretaker had placed in her mind. She remembered what really happened. Her father was alive. He was there all this time and he gave her up because she was a 'freak'.**

**But more importantly, she remembered what caused that car accident; she was only a child, incapable of controlling her volatile psychic strength, and in a moment of confusion and disarray, her powers surged out, flipping their car upside down with both her and her parents in it.**

**Jean was eight years old when she last saw her dad, and in their reunion after ten years had passed, he did nothing but reject her all over again.**

**"You killed your mother. My whole world died that day of the accident, Jean. And you went with it."**

**It was happening. There was a sharp, slicing pain in her head. She was unwillingly about to unleash her anger on the father who'd abandoned her, but the X-men showed up.**

**They were all there. Scott, her first and only love was there, her best friend Storm, her mentor, Raven aka Mystique. And her father figure, the man who lied to her all these years growing up, Charles Xavier. But she couldn't see them clearly. The creature, the _Phoenix_, was controlling her again, the fiery darkness seeping underneath her skin and invading her veins, burying itself deep within her, so deep she didn't even know it was there until it was activated. It took over and maneuvered her body like a puppet attached to strings, triggering her worst impulses. The X-men were terrified of her, and they had every right to be.**

**All of them tried contain her, to control her power. They were just trying to help, but she couldn't see that, the fire within her blinded her with rage. She fought them all off. Jean had always been a powerful mutant, to the extent that it terrified her. She'd always especially suppressed her telekinesis in fear of it surging out and hurting someone..again. But it was different after she was possessed, she felt incredibly powerful to the point that she could devour planets if she'd wanted to.**

**She hated this. She hated that she was doing this, that she couldn't stop it no matter how much she tried. She could feel the streaks of burning energy running through her veins and she used only a fraction of it to get out of the X-men's hold. And she subdued them all, but Mystique was walking towards her, and Jean didn't move.**

**"Something's... happening to me." Jean muttered in warning. Then, as she looked around her, the world began to fade away. Raven's face blurred and all she could see was red.**

**"Stay away from me. You don't know what it's like." She cried out. It was a horrifying cycle. She was never strong enough to fight this thing inside her, never strong enough to to wake herself up, to break herself out of the hold it had on her.**

**"Then tell me, Jean. Let me help you." Raven affectionately cooed, walking towards her. Jean flinched as she sensed her approaching footsteps on the concrete floor.**

**"When _it_ comes.. people get hurt."**

**"It's okay, Jean. Come home."**

**Jean just watched her. She was frozen, face stricken and hands clenched by her sides. Her breaths were shallow. She could feel her eyebrows quivering between neutral and and furrowed, and lips trembling.**

**"We're going to get through this together. I'm not giving up on you, Jean. This is what family does. We take care of each other. You're my family, Jean."**

**The scene in front of Jean seemed to both move in a blur and so slowly she could see everything. "Stay away from me. Stop, stop, stop, stop!" She yelled out, bringing her hands to her aching head.**

**And then the thing she'd been most afraid of had happened.**

**She killed Raven.**

_Beep_.

**Jean had found it. The chance to redeem herself. To protect her family.**

**A race of shapeshifting, superpowered aliens had come for her, they desired the all too powerful force within her. She wanted to let them have it, just so she could be rid of it, but they wanted to use it to destroy the planet earth, and to then reshape into their own.**

**Their leader had foolishly ran to Jean. A mistake, because all Jean could focus on was her protective instincts of her friends. She was going to win, even if it meant sacrificing herself in the process.**

**She looked down to catch herself, and everything sounded echoey and far away, like she was underwater, but she could almost hear the Professor screaming her name. His voice regretful and he seemed to be in just as much pain as she was. She looked towards him, giving him a reassuring nod that everything was going to be okay. She was fine.**

**Jean maintained an excruciating gaze upon the alien who was beneath her, and she looked terrified, flailing, trying to scramble away from her, but Jean slammed her claws roughly around the alien's neck, her shaking hands grabbing her shoulders. She leaned over her, and whispered with a voice that used to belong to her but didn't really, not anymore. "You want this power? You're gonna get it." Jean taunted with a smirk, using the force to propel them upwards, blasting them both into space.**

**Jean then unleashed her powers, both the ones she was born with and the ones she gained from the force. She felt she was one with it. While accessing the Phoenix Force, Jean's empathy, telepathy, and telekinesis were greatly magnified and heightened to an incredible degree.**

**Even if it had made her hurt people she cared for before, even if it made her scared of herself, she _had_ to use it. She needed to use to save her new family. It had crippled all of her senses at first. She was so utterly weak and helpless under its control. But now she could see everything. She could feel everything. Jean could finally protect the ones she cared for.**

**She had never been allowed to use her abilities like this before. Her whole life she had held back her powers, doing everything she could not to harm those who surrounded her.****But now she was letting go.**

**A satisfied smile almost overtook Jean's face as she saw the villainous alien disintegrate piece by piece, until there was nothing left of her but terrified atoms that floated into nothing. She would have sighed in relief if she could've, but Jean knew what she had to do.****She had to destroy this being, and herself along with it. A surge of energy began to flow through her, and Jean tried to focus, to not be tempted by the delicious power.****Flames bursting out of her, her arms flew to the side as she tried to direct all the destructive force towards itself. The Phoenix was taking over her body, it felt like a the heat of a thousand suns were all pouring their energy into Jean, feeding her. It felt incredible, and she screamed in release.**

**Jean continued to scream; louder and harder than she had in her entire life, collecting the years worth of suppressed hate, anger, pain and fear, and she poured it all out into a scream that she was sure would be her last one.**

**Her consciousness was fading, she had been in and out, her eyes were fluttering open and shut through the whole ordeal. At one moment she felt free of any darkness looming over. She looked deathly pale, almost ready to accept death rather than hide from it. She chose to accept her cursed fate, glancing up with tearful eyes as they faded away into nothing. **

_Beep_.

The six year old Akano Yumi came to in a hospital bed with the sunlight shining through a window on her left. She didn't remember how she got here. She didn't know how long he's been here.

"Where-" She tried to speak, but her throat was unbelievably dry, and she could swear that she tasted blood after saying just that word. She tried clearing her throat, regretting it almost immediately as she tasted another wave of the metallic taste, and she couldn't keep in the wince at the pain.

Everything hurt, but her former self was used to being in pain. It was a familiar friend.

Yumi whimpered in remembrance, her lower lip trembled at the everlasting ache in her heart.

_What the hell was she doing here? Why was she alive?_

And without any control over herself, Yumi wept, hot tears streaming down her face and staining her cheeks.

*

Akano Akito was in a good mood.

He'd finished his work early and closed his psychiatrist practice to get home fast as he could. Today marked the sixth birthday of his adorable daughter, Yumi, or as he loved to call her 'Mi-chan'. He and his wife, Chiharu, had lucked out with this little angel of light. When she was born, Yumi was the most beautiful baby girl in the world- and he didn't think so just because she was his daughter (maybe a little). She had the most adorable demeanor, and she had this quality of loving and adoring absolutely everything. She was only six, but she was incredibly intelligent, he could tell.

She was truly a special little girl.

So as Akito headed home, humming along the tune of the upbeat song playing through his car studio, he received a phone call that almost had him crashing.

"_I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your daughter is currently hospitalized_."

Akito's breathig hitched, his heart drumming in his chest. A cold sweat formed on his forehead and he quickly steered the car into the nearest carpark before he crashed into someone from the sheer nerves.

"_What?! What are you saying_?!" He yelled so intensely that the medical officer almost jerked away from the phone. This wasn't possible, she was supposed to be in the playground with their neighbor as they prepared for her party. She can't be hurt, she just can't.

"_She's currently comatose due to cerebral hemorrhage_."

Akito's hands trembled in panic, he felt like retching. But this wasn't the time, he needed to call his wife and be there for his daughter.

*

Terrified pants and rushed footsteps echoed throughout the hospital corridors. Akano Akito and Chiharu strided across the polished floors and headed straight to their daughter's attendant doctor.

"What happened?! " Akito asked without hesitation, almost throwing his arms around the practitioner's shoulders and shaking him for answers.

Chiharu choked back a sob, quietly watching her husband's panicked demeanor. It just didn't make sense. At the reception, they said there was a car accident, and another girl in the playground was hit by the car. Their daughter had witnessed the ordeal, but she was _nowhere_ near the vehicle, but somehow at the exact same time the girl was injured, Yumi collapsed and lost consciousness.

The older man in a lab coat released a sigh, bringing a hand up to his face to push his glasses up his nasal bridge. "I believe it has something with her quirk." He announced, and both Akano's flinched.

"Her quirk?" Chiharu repeated in confusion.

"May I ask what quirks you two possess?"

Akito swallowed thickly, wrapping a supportive arm around his wife's shoulders. "I have a mind reading quirk, and my wife is quirkless."

"Oh, is that so?" The doctor perked his bushy brows, looking as if he was connecting dots in his head.

Chiharu pursed her lips, giving a hesitant nod. "Yes, she hadn't developed any powers by now, so we naturally thought that she was quirkless, too." She sounded somehow ashamed of her quirkless status, ashamed that she passed down this weak quality to her daughter.

"Well, she most certainly is not. I believe she developed a variant of your quirk, Akano-kun." The doctor declared, staring at the tall, red haired husband of Chiharu's.

"Eh?"

"Yumi sustained a brain injury strangely similar to the girl who's been in the accident, although people assured me that she was nowhere near the incident."

"What..do you mean?" A drop of sweat trickled down Akito's cheek, a part of him hugely relieved that his daughter was in no physical danger, but the other part incredibly perplexed at how she was injured and why she was comatose.

"I'm saying that your daughter has very advanced extrasensory perception, she somehow linked her psyche to that of the injured girl during the time of the accident and she unfortunately suffered from the same damage as her."

Chiharu whimpered, bringing her right hand up to cover her mouth, muffling whatever sound that threatened to leave.

"That's..possible?" Akito's eyes couldn't get any wider. He was a mind reader himself, but that was all there was to his quirk. He could hear people's inner thoughts, but he didn't think that linking your mind to another's so you could physically feel what they were feeling was something that could happen. His lower lip trembled as he imagined how his Mi-chan felt, her panic, how this could possibly change her.

_He had no idea. _

With a clench of her shaky fist, Yumi's mother somehow regained her composure long enough to ask the question circulating through her mind. "Normally, by age four, she would have manifested a quirk. How come it's appearing now?"

"Hmm. That's correct. But there's a possibility that it was lying dormant up until now." The physician said. "I'm still unclear of the details, but that's what I've come to understand with the tests so far."

*

Jean..no, _Yumi_, was still feeling hazy and confused. She remembered it. She remembered the grogginess of maybe being awake and passing out again almost instantly. But she wasn't sure how long it's been.

It was slowly returning, the consciousness that had been constantly fading from her. Yumi was grateful, because that way, she didn't have any more nightmares. But those weren't nightmare, she knew that. They were here memories.

She was Jean Grey in her last life.

The young redhead realized how it happened; she was in the playground, playing and laughing. _Blissfully ignorant_.

Until she saw it, a girl about her age crossing the street without looking both ways.

"_No, stop_!" She had yelled out in warning as fast and as loud as she could. But it had been too late. The little girl's body collided against the car's rough surface and rolled onto the pavement.

It had been in less than a fraction of a second when Yumi felt it. She sensed something ripping inside her mind, walls caving in and letting something hidden deep inside out into this world.

_She felt connected. _

With a snap, she suddenly found herself inside the girl's mind, sharing her thoughts and feelings as they went out one by one.

Yumi vividly remembered the pain she wad in, she shared it with her bit by bit.

'I_t hurts_.'

With every twinge and throb of agony, Yumi felt her mind tearing open. Bringing about memories that were hers, but.._wasn't_.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open, the light rays that the sun irradiated through the windows managed to blind her vision for a few moments, motivating her to slightly squint.

Yumi's ears were met with sighs of relief and a sound of someone sobbing.

"Akito! She's awake!"

Yumi heard an all too familiar feminine voice exclaiming. Akito.. That's her father's name, right?

"What?! Oh thank goodness!"

Tiredly, her green irises scanned the room, and she was met with the two sobbing figures. Their smiles wide and cheeks notched upwards as tears trickled down them.

There stood the tall, red haired Akito and his slightly shorter, brunette wife, Chiharu. As she continued to stare at them, her vision contorted, twisted and blurred to show other people. People who didn't resemble them in appearance nor demeanor. Not one bit. She was seeing John and Elaine Grey; her parents from her previous life.

"Mom? Dad?" She seemed..hesitant, but her parents didn't notice through their relief.

"Such a relief.. It's only been a couple of days but your daddy almost lost it." Her father admitted, sniffling as he extended his arm to pet her head.

"Mm!" Chiharu agreed, wiping the tears accumulating in her eyes.

Akito caught the slightest flinch of Yumi's body when she saw his hand reaching out to hers. As he placed the palm of his hand atop her head, Yumi closed her eyes shut, descending back into slumber.

**A/N:-****This is the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**To avoid any confusion, Yumi had been an normal girl in the BnHA timeline. Until the day of her sixth birthday, her telepathic powers awakened when she witnessed a girl getting hit by a car, and she had formed a psychic link with her and felt what she felt. The mental toll it had on Yumi opened up the floodgates to the memories of her past life as Jean Grey. **

**In case it isn't clear, this story takes place after the event of X-men Dark Phoenix. You don't have to watch the movie as I will be explaining everything and retelling any detail I decide to change. I know that Jean is about in her mid twenties in Dark Phoenix, but I changed it so that she was 17-18 years old at the time of her death.**

_Comics_ _Jean__ Grey Trivia: When Jean was ten years old she was playing with her best friend, Annie Richardson when Annie was hit by a car. The emotion that Jean felt as she held her dying friend awakened her own latent telepathic powers and she experienced Annie's own emotions as she died. This traumatic event left Jean in a withdrawn and deeply depressed state. Moreover, Jean could not control her newly awakened telepathic abilities and had to isolate herself from other people to hold on to her sanity._


	3. Two

_Phoenix;_

_Ancient Greek: φοῖνιξ, phoînix) is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again._

_According to some sources, the phoenix dies in a show of flames and combustion, although there are other sources that claim that the legendary bird dies and simply decomposes before being born again. _

~

Yumi sighed as she stared out her bedroom's window.

She'd been released from the hospital weeks ago, but Yumi struggled still with her newly discovered memories. The situation was springing an existential question that she didn't know the answer to.

'_Am I Jean, or am I Yumi?'_

The young redhead supposed she was both. After Jean's sacrificial death to destroy the cosmic entity that had possessed her, she must've been reborn, reincarnated, as Akano Yumi. She didn't know how many centuries later though. Once she had first stared into the mirror with dull looking eyes, she'd come to realize that she looked exactly the same when she was six years old in her past life. She still possessed long firey red hair and translucent green eyes.

One thing for sure was that she definitely retained the memories of her past years as Akano Yumi, she remembered being her with clueless bliss. In her past years of life as Yumi, all her memories of being Jean Grey had been hidden away. Locked into the deepest portion of her subconscious. And so she came to a slow realization.

_She was always Jean and she was always Yumi._

Now, Yumi was left with the question of _why_? Why was she reborn?

There was only one reason why she was reincarnated. A curse. A punishment. To be forced to remember her past, to live with the heaviness of her sins on her shoulders. Perhaps she deserved it, after killing her mother and friend even if both were accidents.

A big prove of this being a punishment was that she was still a mutant in this lifetime. Or should she say, possessed a quirk.

_Jean was no stranger to the plight of the mutants. _

Mutants were the evolutionary progeny of Homo sapiens, and they were generally assumed to be the next stage in human evolution after the exposure of their presence to society. With that being said, humans never truly accepted them. Perhaps it was from an instinct that urged them to battle their own extinction and protect themselves.

And although mutants weren't openly hunted, they were still feared and unaccepted. They were an oppressed minority.

But now it was different, she didn't know how many centuries had passed for it to happen, but the world was reformed.

They were _all_ mutants. Professor X was right. They really were the next step in evolution. Homo sapiens eventually lost the battle, and now _they_ were viewed as a minority. The unlucky few. The _quirkless_.

It was a utopian reflection of her past world.

Everything became a mutation or quirk based society. Her current father, Akito, used his mind reading quirk to his advantage, working as a psychiatrist and specifically specializing in criminal psychology. Apparently, he did a lot of analytical work with pro heroes.

_Heroes_.

In this world swirling with chaos that profession came into the limelight. Apparently along with the generalized superpowers came an explosive increase in crime. As the country was stuck in the slow progress of drastic law reforms, courageous people started performing heroic acts.

Just like she and the X-men did in the shadows. All to be accepted by society. A dream that never came to fruition in the past.

*

"What are we going to do, honey?"

In the kitchen, a very concerned Chiharu stood next to her husband, who was seated near the kitchen island.

"W-we just have to be patient. You know, she's been through a lot, after something like that.." Yumi's father trailed off, his voice fading at the end as he defeatedly looked down to his clenched fists. It was a father's duty to protect their children from harm, and he had failed.

He blamed nothing but himself.

"I know that, but it's like she's a different person now!" Chiharu argued.

Akito visibly stiffened at his wife's words. She was right. His Mi-chan was such a bright and cheerful little girl. You couldn't look at her without seeing that bright toothy grin on her face. But now..

He remembered at the hospital, when she started getting better, he noticed the change then. As he eyed her closely. He could see it. The coldness that surrounded her. Her eyes were glassed over with dispassionate disolation, and her aura seemed to be dipped in a numb harshness.

Akano Akito couldn't get over how when he looked into his daughter's once bright green eyes, he found they were.._ancient_. They were eyes that have seen and endured unspeakable horrors. Things that would make grown men soil themselves and pass out in fright.

'_It was all my fault_.'

"Can't you see what she's thinking? I'm scared for our daughter." Chiharu suggested. The brunette woman knew it was morally wrong to invade her privacy, buy desperate times called for desperate measures.

Pursing his lips, Akito stuttered out a reply. "I-I can't hear her thoughts anymore."

"What?!"

"Chi-chan, shuush, keep it down." He lightly said, careful not to wake their sleeping daughter. He didn't know she was already awake. "I think it has something to do with her quirk, it's almost like she's resisting me.."

"To think I have such s talented daughter, I'm so proud." He added, and almost tears descended down his cheeks. Seeing that his wife's face still showed nothing but worry, he reached out to comfortingly squeeze her hand.

"It's okay, I've been through this before. She'll be fine as long as we support and be there for her. Our Mi-chan is strong after all."

They just needed to give her supportive therapy. He was a psychiatrist, after all. Her behavior..it definitely showcased signs of PTSD and mild depression. It was understandable after what she's been through.

_Oh, if only he knew. _

*

'_What the hell am I doing here_?'

Yumi thought to herself as she and her father walked, heading to the park.

Seated in a bench next to Akito, the young Akano observed her surroundings, gazing at the people laughing and having fun with their families. Some of whom possessing a metamorphosis quirk, their appearances prove of their genetic difference, which proved her point as to how easy things have become for the mutants. Back then, any of them whose mutation altered their appearance was forced to hide in the shadows, just like her _deceased_ friend, Mystique.

A shudder went up her spine and she harshly gulped at the realisation.

_All of the X-men are gone. Forgotten._

The area was all too familiar to Yumi, but there were moments where she felt she was seeing everything for the first time around. They lived in Kanagawa Prefecture located in Kantō region of Japan, bordering Shizuoka Prefecture. It never ceased to amaze Yumi/Jean in the past few weeks how easily the Japanese language rolled off her tongue. But it made sense there, it was her native language in this lifetime.

Sensing a pair of grey eyes on her for a while, Yumi turned her to the fellow ginger. Akito notably flinched at being caught and turned his head to look in front of him.

Akito didn't want Yumi to feel out of place, he didn't want her to sense that anything was different. But he couldn't help but look her way every now and then in worry and concern.

He could feel it, her now watching him with an excruciating gaze. Like she was taking every bit of his characteristics and analyzing them, comparing them to someone else.

'_No matter how much I look at it, he's different from..**him**_.' Yumi brooded, her mind plotting out every physical and personal difference Akito had with her former father. While Akano Akito was a natural redhead just like herself, John Grey had blonde hair. John had green eyes and Akito possessed dark onyx eyes. Yumi gathered that she inherited her hair color from her father, and eye color from her mother in this lifetime.

Akito was a psychiatrist, and John was a college professor.

But more importantly, the biggest difference between Akito and John was how they acted around her. Yumj could place it.

Her former father used to be like Akito. He adored her to no end. _Until_ he found out that she was a mutant. Ever since Jean's powers emerged - even before that accident that she had unintentionally caused that had taken her mother's life- John never looked at her the same after her powers manifested. He _couldn't_ accept her. He couldn't accept that his daughter was a _freak_. He was even scared of her. John had never explicitly said it or expressed it in actions, but he'd forgotten that she could read minds.

But her papa (as he preferred to be called) was different. Yes, he'd been walking on eggshells around her ever since she awoke from the coma, but that was only because he was concerned. He unconditionally cared for her.

'_Would he still do after he knew what I was capable of?_'

"Dad?" She began and didn't have a chance to finish as Akito jumped and got up to his feet.

"Yes?! What is it? Do you want ice cream? Or chocolate?! Papa's got you!"

"No-"

"Let's go!"

"He's over the top." She mumbled, but Yumi almost chuckled at how goofy and very energetic he was being and she was taken aback at how easily he could lift the mood. His name really did fit him.

"Did you say something?" He turned back, smiling so brightly that she was almost blinded.

"No.."

The two then made their way towards the ice cream bus.

"Here, a triple decker fudge sundae!"

'_This isn't what I wanted._.' With a shrug of her shoulders, Yumi lifted her hand and spooned some of the savory trear into her mouth.

A few minutes then passed, silence draping over the two.

Clenching and unclenching her right fist, Yumi's mind began ruminating on thoughts that brought her much dread.

"I've been meaning to ask you something." She began, catching her dad's attention.

"About what?"

"If.." Her voice wavered, recalling the rejection she'd received from John Grey, her _father_ in her previous life. "If something were to happen, and my quirk were to get out of control and it accidentally hurt someone-"

"What are you talking about? Your quirk isn't the type to hurt anyone."

'_Oh, yes it is_.'

Yumi suffered from the same set of mutation as the last time around. Telepathy, empathy and telekinesis. All wrote off as extrasensory perception or ESP. It was the last of the three that terrified her.

Because she'd lost two of those closest to her because of it.

"It's a hypothetical question." She lied. Yumi didn't know why she was in desperate need for an answer.

"Oh, you kind of surprised me, hehe."

Of course he would never think his Mi-chan was capable of hurting anyone. He thought she was just like him, gifted with a simple telepathic quirk. But he didn't know how much power she was hiding, what burden it brought on.

"As I was saying, if I hurt someone, would you hate me?"

Akito's eyes widened at the notion. "What are you talking about? I could never hate you, Mi-chan!"

"Even if that person is _mom_?"

At her words, Akito froze, not just from their context, but at their intensity. He could only give out a short stutter as a reply. "Wh-what?"

Yumi shook her head. She didn't need to hear his answer, because she already knew it. Of course he would hate her. And who wouldn't?

'_Thought so_.'

Without any warning, Yumi left her father's side and ran away.

"W-wait!"

She strided away from her father as fast as she could, as fast as her tiny legs could go. She didn't know where she was heading, but she continued on.

_Yumi or Jean_? It didn't matter. She knew exactly who she was, and she couldn't forget it even if she wanted to.

_She was the girl who everyone abandons._

Throughout the entirety of the walk back to the playground, her pulse was clear in her ears. Breathing picked up as flashes took over, her surroundings turning hazy.

Everything was becoming blurry in Yumi's vision. Her heart was pulsing overtime in its ribcage as she roamed the park, which felt incredibly stuffy now. She was becoming disoriented.

Akano started hearing whispers, bypassing her ears and intruding her head.

It was happening again.

_She was eight years old when her powers first manifested.__The young Jean Grey thought she was going mad at first. Hearing voices in her mind, whispers that didn't go away no matter how many times she wished they would.__However, it didn't take her long to figure out that the voices were not in hers, but in everyone else's head. She just happened to be the unwilling recipient of those thoughts. _

"Shut up." She muttered to herself, looking around her to see the people around her, almost loathing them for their loud thoughts. "Shut up shut up shut up." She continued, bringing both her hands to rest against her aching temples.

"Stop!"

By now, she was sure people were staring at her like she was a crazy person. But she didn't care.

The surrounding benches in the vicinity suddenly began to quake under the influence of her psionic ability. It was projecting out of her distressed mind, painfully leaking and affecting the chairs in the park.

"What the hell is happening?"

"Is it an earthquake?!"

Yumi took deep breaths, gently massaging her temples to control her quirk.

'_As long as you don't control it, it controls you.'_

Yumi's whole being shook. She remembered it. The very first words Professor X had told her when she had one of her telekinetic fits in his school. It was so intense that most students carried on to fear her unstable in the later years.

'_I won't let it control me. Not ever again_.'

"It stopped." Someone commented at the cessation of the benches trembling.

Shaking, Yumi felt relieved after she kept her telepathy and telekinesis at bay. Controlling them always proved to be difficult when she was at a heightened emotional state. The voices had dissipated from her head and nerves wrapped around her in its place.

Growing anxiety in Yumi's heart felt all too much like electricity when someone bumped into her.

"What's with this weirdo?"

With a violent jolt, Yumi looked back to the source of the voice. There were three boys standing there, no older than six. One of them stood out, as he had short, spiky ash-blond hair and choppy bangs that came to his eyebrows. His eyes were sharp and thin and bright red in color. The other two were rather plain looking, both brunettes with obnoxious grins as they looked down at her.

"She was talking to herself, wasn't she?" One of them said to the other, sniggering as he did. The red eyed boy made no move to apologize nor did he have any intention to. He was just smirking.

Yumi wouldn't have said anything on any other day, since they were just kids. But she was in no mood to let things slide at the moment.

"Watch it, hedgehog." She venomously bit out, her eyes piercing into the ash blonde's eyes.

The boy's eyes went wide, then a scowl overtook his surprised expression.

"What?! You wanna say that again, uggo?!" He yelled so loudly that Yumi had to step back a bit.

'_Stupid kids_.' She clicked her tongue.

"I don't have to, I know you heard me the first time around." Yumi bluntly said.

The boy's eyebrow twitched, her stoic expression was pissing him off even further.

As he approached her, Yumi stood her ground, his attempt to appear intimidating wasn't working on her.

Without any warning, the ash blonde pushed her. "Don't get in my way again, stupid girl!" He growled in warning before walking away.

Yumi was surprised at how easily her legs gave out from a light shove. Until it hit her.

Oh, that's right. She was a kid, too.

'_My hands sting_.'

Getting up from the ground, the red haired girl sighed as she looked down at the angry red scrapes on the palm of her hands.

_Yup. This lifetime was definitely a curse_.

"Mi-chan! I found the first aid kit!" Akito excitedly announced, dedicating a close eyed smile down his daughter's way.

"..I told you, it's fine." Yumi mumbled as she sat in their living room couch. Her shoulders were slouched, her eyes focusing on the hardwood floor. She was ashamed to be found injured and hopeless by her father after oh-so childishly running away from him.

Akito frowned, seeing the dejected look on his daughter's face. He folded up the note in his hand that was left by Chiharu saying she had went to the store, before approaching his daughter.

"You don't have to hold back, you can rely on me and Chi-chan." Crouching down on the floor in front of Yumi, Akito raised his hand to pet her head. However, Yumi just looked away to the side.

"I'm fine on my own."

That was not usually a reply you would get from a six year old.

"Right.. You're growing into an independent young woman, I-I guess?" He nervously chuckled, rummaging through the first aid kit to get the disinfectant. "And that's okay, but.."

"Listen here, Mi-chan." He started, dipping a piece of cotton into the disinfectant and applying some on her scraped hands. "We come into this world alone, and we leave the same way, the time we spend in between...time spent alive, sharing, learning...together...is all that makes life worth living."

Yumi pursed her lips, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Having you and your mom rely on me, that's why I breathe."Yumi's could feel her shoulders trembling, and she bit her lower lip to make any sound of a cry. She could _feel_ how much love he bared for her and her mother, how _hurt_ he was that she was hurting, even though he didn't know the reason why. His mind and emotions was screaming and reaching out to hers. Her telepathic quirk allowed it. That's how her unfortunate powers worked; _she knew what everyone feels._

Finally bringing herself to look at her father, Yumi's expression turned to that of surprise upon seeing his face. His eyes were brimming over with affection, his cheeks flushed from the heat of the tears he held back. It was heartbreaking. _And she caused it. _

"And if something were to happen to your mom, even if it were accidentally your fault, I would never hate you."

The red haired girl swallowed thickly, trying to rid herself from the lump that rose in her throat, but it was a futile attempt. "Really?"

'_I'll be immeasurably sad, but I would never hate you_.' This single thought of his echoed throughout Yumi's mind, and she held back the urge to whimper. Yumi could feel that her green eyes were turning glossy from the thickening tear film.

Akito smiled despite the tears welling up in his eyes. The thought of losing his wife or his daughter was so overwhelming and he didn't even want to consider the possibility. But the very nature of the question was distressing his daughter to a terrifying extent. So he needed to give her his answer to give her some peace of mind.

He couldn't read her mind but he knew she was satisfied by his answer. She really was amazing, he thought, he could actually feel her inside _his_ mind.

"Really."

_From that day onwards, Yumi decided to live on. To live for the sake of the parents who loved her. The parents she didn't get in her last life, the ones she knew she didn't deserve.__Even with the weight of her sins on her shoulders, no matter how heavy, Yumi would carry them in silence. Without burdening her loving parents.__She didn't want to hurt the ones she cared about. Not again._

**A/N:-*****Akito** (アキト) Bright person; who is like autumn season

**Sooooo, this is the second chapter I wanted to focus on Yumi's past in the first two chapters! But don't you worry, the BNHA characters will be appearing soon. There was a cameo there in the middle**

Next chapter will contain a significant time skip!


	4. Three

"I'm back."

Yumi's soft and semi-monotonous voice echoed from her house entrance and into the living room.

At the declaration, her mother's head peaker out from the kitchen to greet her daughter.

"Welcome, Yumi."

"Mi-chan! Welcome home!" Akito excitedly got off the couch and ran to stand by his wife's side, clutching the newspaper in his hands.

Yumi couldn't help but give a slight smile at the warm welcome, bending down to take off her shoes.

"You're home early." Yumi pointed out to her father, turning around to place the house keys on the counter.

"Yeah, I didn't have a lot patients today. What about you?" Akito said, tilting his head back at Yumi.

Akano Yumi attended the prestigious Kanagawa Gakuen Junior high school, where she was already a third year now. '_Oh, how time went by so quickly_.' Akito hummed to himself, fighting the urge to tear up at the sight of his grown up, fourteen year old daughter.

That being said, with her school's strict academic schedule, it was unusual for her to come so early. Not that he minded.

Yumi's shoulders slouched ever so slightly, a gesture missed by her parents. Her eyes glazed over as she replied. "We had a half day since we're done with finals."

"_Since you're all third years, it's time for you to think seriously about your future_."

The words uttered by her homeroom teacher resonated within her mind. Yumi recalled the ecstatic reactions her classmates let out, most of whom already set on choosing to go down the 'hero' path.

"Well, you're just in time. I'm making lunch."

Yumi flinched at Chiharu's words, snapping her from once again contemplating on what their teacher had asked of them.

With a sigh, Yumi turned the kitchen island. "I'll help." She offered but was quickly interjected by her mom. "You don't have to, I'm almost done. How about you go freshen up."

Yumi was reluctant, but was urged by the bright smile her mother had sent her.

"Okay." She nodded before proceeding to make her way into the bathroom.

As she washed her hands, thoroughly cleansing it with water and soap, the red haired teenager glanced upwards to look at her reflection in the mirror.

"My future plans.." She lowly mumbled to herself, her eyes half-lidded with the lack of answer in mind.

It's been eight years since Yumi had regained her memories as Jean Grey in her past life.

After terminating the stream of water, Yumi reached out to a towel to dry her hands. And once again, she found herself glancing back to the mirror.

Yumi was wearing her middle school uniform, which was a red ribbon, a short-sleeved white collared shirt underneath a dark blueish purple vest and a slightly green grey skirt. She had taken off her school shoes the moment she'd arrived, and put on her home slippers, but still wore her black knee high socks.

As years passed, she came to look more and more look like Jean. Her former self had always been good looking -not that she was cocky about it. Tall with a lovely figure. Delicate feminine features and long red hair that descended down her shoulders to her waist in silky smooth, wavy tresses.

Yumi wasn't just beautiful. She was all too observant and analytical for a fourteen year old, which was understandable due to her.._mental_ age.

Still, her mind might have been fully grown since the age of six, but she had the physical characteristics of a regular fourteen year old girl. As if things weren't bad enough for Yumi. She went through puberty, for the _second_ time around. Growing pains were the worst. She was only 168 cm tall currently, but she supposed it was because she hasn't peaked yet since she grew to be much taller as Jean.

Yumi tore her gaze from the mirror, neatly folding the towel before exiting the bathroom and heading to change her clothes.

*

After having lunch, the three members of the Akano family had opted to stay in the living room to watch some TV together. Yumi was nuzzled up at one end of the couch, while Akito sat at his designated arm chair across from her. Chiharu had gotten up to take a bathroom break, but once she returned, she caught both of their attention.

"What's this paper for?" Holding up a piece of paper up for them to see, Yumi's mother questioned. She'd seen it peeking out of Yumi's school bag, almost falling out.

"They're handouts for our future plans." Yumi admitted, and Akito lifted an exaggerated hand to wipe the tears in his eyes.

"Our Yumi is growing up."

Yumi smirked. "I'm already grown up. I'm even taller than mom."

At her words, Akito covered his mouth, feeling a laughter rumbling in his chest. Seeing his lighthearted expression, Yumi giggled as well.

When she was with her parents, Yumi was an outgoing and a regularly cheerful girl. Which was a contrast to when she was in school, where she displayed a disinterest in almost everyone around her.

She was often sarcastic and brutally honest to the point others may have perceived it as arrogance -one of the reasons why she had no friends. _Not that she needed them_. But that didn't stop the boys in her class to confess their undying 'love' for her. She reckoned it was due to her physical appearance or intelligence, because they never really got to know her. And so she rejected each and every one of them without blinking an eye.

"You two.." Puffing out her cheeks, Chiharu sent the two a playful glare.

Closing her eyes for a second and then reopening them, her mom smiled. "Yumi, since you aced the mock test, you have nothing to worry about, right?"

Pursing her lips, Yumi mumbled a quiet, "I guess?"

"And your English is outstanding!" Her dad boosted, throwing his hands in the air. Having such a talented and intelligent daughter bringing him endless joy and pride.

Yumi nodded. _Of course it was, she was a red-blooded American in her past life._

It wasn't just English she excelled at. She'd always been a remarkable student. In her past life, she'd even graduated early from Xavier's school for gifted youngsters, surpassing those her age -much to their indignation. Partially it was because she possessed an eidetic memory, which she supposed was attributed to her telepathic abilities.

"So then, Mi-chan," Akito started, smiling brightly. "Which high school do you wanna go to?"

"I'm still undecided." Yumi truthfully responded, unblinking. For the past eight years, Yumi spent her days living for the sake of her loving parents, to make sure she never hurt them, to make sure they were just as happy as they were making her, heeding no mind to her peers or surroundings. She was so solely focused on keeping her powers at bay and making her parents proud, that she didn't think of what would come next.

"Then can I make a suggestion?" Akito beamed, sparks literally manifesting in his onyx eyes. "What about deciding on one with a hero course?!"

"There you go again, hun." Chiharu released a disappointed sigh. "Yumi made it clear that she doesn't want to become a hero."

"Eeeh, but she'll definitely make an awesome hero! She's super smart and with my quirk running through her veins there's nothing stopping her!" He argued, his tone whiny, like that of a child.

Chiharu glanced to her daughter, frowning at the sight of her sullen expression. "Now, now, honey, don't you start trying to live your lost dreams through our daughter." She softly scolded Akito, believing that he was placing too much pressure on Yumi.

"Eek." Akito grimaced.

"I don't want to be a hero. I can't become one." Yumi sternly stated, her eyes fixated to the carpeted floors.

_'I don't know if I ever can.'_ She thought with malice, recalling her actions as part of the X-men, being hailed heroes by other mutants for proving to humans that not all mutants were bad. She hadn't earned that title, not at the slightest. A hero was supposed to protect the ones they loved.

_And she'd done the exact opposite. _

Yumi was content with being ordinary, pretending that she didn't possess a powerful quirk. She'd gotten so used to pretending that telepathy was all that she had, that she believed it herself. Of course, she didn't actually lie. In her formal quirk registry, she was registered to have been been an Esper; meaning that she possessed Extrasensory Perception which had a lot of undefined range from telepathy to psychokinesis.

Using the power she unintentionally wielded to hurt the ones she once loved didn't sit well with Yumi. So she suppressed it, making sure that it would never surge out.

"Then on a more serious note, what do you want to become?"

Yumi visibly stiffened, the timing and the nature of Akito's inquiry had both taken her by surprise.

"Eh?"

"What do you want to be after you graduate?" Akito asserted, a supportive smile displayed on his lips.

'_What I want to be_?'

If you'd had asked her this question in her previous life, she would've had answered without a single thought. As Jean Grey, she knew what she wanted to do. A specialty in human genetics, and becoming an advocate for mutant rights was her dream. Jean always admired Professor Charles Xavier, becoming a leading expert on human mutation, even though at first, most didn't believe in the mere possibility that his research held any truth.

Unfortunately, she never grew up to realize that dream, for she died at the age of eighteen in her previous life..

And now, Yumi had no clue on what she wanted to grow up to be.

"I.. I don't know." She stuttered, fidgeting with the hem of her t-shirt. "I guess somewhere with a good scientific program." She hesitantly added.

Defending mutant rights was no longer an option, because there was nothing to defend. But her passion for science was still there, she guessed.

Akito gave a hum of approval, looking pensive for a moment. "What about you go to U.A high then?"

Yumi's brow twitched at her father's persistence. "_Again_?" He really did want her to be a hero for some reason.

"You never give up, do you?" Chiharu commented, giggling a bit.

Akito was quick to rebuff their misunderstanding to his suggestion. Shaking his head while waving his hands around. "No, no, that's not what I meant. There are plenty of courses you can get into other than the hero route." He started before quickly adding. "The General Studies department can give you a lot of options once you graduate! Also, that's where I went growing up."

Yumi slightly tilted her head, contemplating on what her father was saying. It was an actually reasonable choice.

"What do you think?" He asked Yumi and her mother.

"It _is_ a prestigious school." Chiharu weighed in.

Yumi bit her lower lip before sending her dad a nod.

"..okay. I'll think about it."

*

*

Almost ten months had passed ever since that conversation.

With time, Yumi became convinced that U.A was the right option for her, and she worked towards that goal for months. Finally, the day of the school's entrance exam had finally come.

The young redhead was quiet as she was seated in the crowded train. She was feeling lucky to have found a seat in the early morning's rush hour.

Waiting for the train to reach her station, Yumi observed her surroundings, her green eyes scanning those around her. Then she caught sight of something that made her frown.

To her right, there was a guy who..looked _suspicious_ to Yumi for some reason. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, or his frantic demeanour as he looked around him to almost make sure he wasn't being watched. Everything about him screamed sketchy.

Yumi's eyes narrowed at the man, an excruciating glare sent his way as she tried to figure out what he was doing. It was curiosity at first that motivated her, but when she saw a girl her age standing besides him, her frame trembling, she became enraged.

'_The hell_?' She wondered to herself, quickly leaning against a pole as she stood up to confirm what was happening with her eyes. '_Is he molesting her_?'

Using her telepathy, Yumi got her answer.

The girl was shaking, her whole body froze as the man behind her stuck close to her. Sure, the train was crowded, but it wasn't that full.

'_Oh, my god, no.'_

She got goosebumps when she suddenly felt something rubbing her back. Out of reflex, she wanted to turn around and shove the person behind her, to scold him and report him to the police.

'_Why does it have to be now_?'

She couldn't do anything except for let out a quiet whimper, choking back her tears and hoping this would be over soon. She was feeling nauseous, and not the way she was used to. Everything was turning dark, until-

"Is he bothering you?" A soft voice interrupted her desperate thoughts in a whisper, and she looked up to see who it was. Concerned green eyes met with hers.

Yumi couldn't help but hastily move to the girl's side, her distressed mind was telepathically calling out for help, and she couldn't ignore it.

The girl pursed her lips, clenching her eyes shut before nodding.

Before Yumi could, the girl made a move that caught her attention. She went through her bag before pulling out a piece of paper, gulping as she did.

It was a U.A exam entry application.

Yumi looked from the slip up to the girl's face. The latter's large and round eyes were watering, the irises, warm brown in color, were quivering in desperation.

'_Don't_.' She internally begged for Yumi not to act, hoping she would get the point across with her eyes. Thankfully, Yumi already heard her thoughts.

'_She doesn't want to cause a commotion or else she'll miss her exam_..' Yumi concluded.

With a nod, Yumi immediately figured out what to do. Taking out her phone from her coat's pocket, Yumi opened the camera app.

_Snap_!

Without hesitation, she'd taken a selfie of the molester behind them.

The perverted man noticed as Yumi lifted up her phone. Seeing that she had his face on photo, he spent no more time in their vicinity, scurrying away and sweating profusely in panic.

The girl sighed in relief.

Getting off the train not long after, Yumi made her way to the street as she started to walk towards the school. But someone's voice stopped her.

"Th-thank you!" The same girl from the train yelled out. Yumi noticed that she was panting, slightly sweating and disheveled. She must've been chasing after her..

Earlier, Yumi hadn't taken a good look at her, but now that she had, she found that the girl was short, and petite. She had the most adorable round cheeks and a blush decorated them. Her hair was bobbed and curved inwards at the ends, its auburn color matching her eyes.

"It's alright. I'm taking the same exam." Yumi reassured, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Really? W-well, let's do our best!" The brunette said, approaching Yumi with a smile and shaky knees.

'_I can't believe I got felt up by a pervert_...'

Yumi knew it was wrong to invade her privacy by hearing her thoughts. But she was radiating such anxious feelings that she was concerned for her.

Smiling gently, Yumi reached out to the girl, taking her by surprise once she held her hand.

"Don't hold back. It was scary wasn't it?"

The brunette flinched at first but felt comforted by Yumi's warm hands enveloping her tremoring ones. She was slightly taken aback but when she saw the reassuring smile on Yumi's face, she relaxed.

With that, the girl let out the tears she'd been holding back.

*

'_In the end, we held hands all the way here_.'

Yumi glanced at the prominent gate of U.A high, her irises occasionally glancing down to the now calm girl.

Akano then stopped abruptly, an action that made the brunette slightly tilt her head in perplexity. "Aren't we heading in the same way?" She asked.

"No, I have to register first." Yumi shook her head.

"Bye." She turned around, readying to leave now that the girl was okay, but she halted in her step once more.

"W-wait! I'm Uraraka Ochako by the way!" The girl, Uraraka, introduced with a bright smile, a shiny aura engulfing her. "What's your name?" She friendly queried.

"Akano Yumi." The redhead said in straight forward manner.

"Good luck then, Yu-chan!"

'_Yu-chan_?'

"Yeah, you too." Yumi smiled before parting ways with Uraraka.


	5. Four

Shinso Hitoshi had always felt unfortunate.

He wanted nothing other than to be a hero, to be able to defeat villains and save lives. But he was cursed with a quirk that did nothing but scare people. Throughout his whole life, he'd been feared for the power he was born with, one that he didn't ask for.

Shinso had been clenching and unclenching his teeth all morning that his jaw was beginning to hurt from the strain. Today was the first day of his high school life, and instead of being in his desired heroics class, he would be spending it in his fallback choice, the General Ed.

The giant hall of U.A high was bustling with newcomer students like himself. Excited chatter and murmurs filled the hall as the freshman students sat in rows.

After arriving in the early morning to dejectedly drop off his bag in the 1-C classroom, Hitoshi ignored everyone and everything as begrudgingly he made his way to attend the opening ceremony.

What caught his eye, and many others' was the apparent absence of class 1-A of the _heroics department_. His fellow classmates were gossiping nonstop about the reason for their not showing up. It literally made his brow twitch in annoyance. Did they think they were too good to be around them?

"_Freshman representative, Akano Yumi-san_."

Shinso's thoughts were interrupted by the voice of their principal echoing throughout the speakers. '_Is he a mouse? A dog? Or a bear_?' Shinso wondrously ruminated as he observed the principal tap the microphone with his paws.

"Yes." A girl stood up from amongst the crowds.

Dark purple eyes followed the girl's, _Akano's_, figure as she made her way to the stage. His bored, tired eyes followed her as she fixed the mic to begin her speech.

"_Passing through the gates of the academy I so admired, I feel nervous just as much as grateful_." Akano Yumi diligently spoke, her soft yet serious voice traveled across the hall.

"The first year representative got the highest grade on the entrance exam, right?"

"Amazing!"

Shinso turned to his right to see a couple of girls fonding over the red haired student. Once his eyes went back to the smartass, they narrowed in an excruciating gaze.

"Other than that.. Isn't she really pretty?"

"How unfair."

"Looks like a model!"

'_Must be nice..being the object of people's admiration_.' He bitterly thought to himself, maintaining a glare at Akano.

"_All the more, I hope we will be able to further our skills through friendly competition. I'm the first year representative, Akano Yumi_." She concluded, giving a respectful bow of her head before making her way down the stage's platform.

"First years! I'll be leading you around the academy so please follow me." A teacher announced and was soon followed by all the freshmen.

'_I really made it here, huh_.' Yumi thought as she sat on the desk near the window. Her parents were really proud of her for not only making it in, but for placing first on her written exam. Yumi had to bite the inside of her cheek as she recalled her father's happy tears this morning as she wore the designated school uniform, while her mother took a thousand pictures of her in it.

_They really were happy. _

Placing her cheek on the palm of her hand, she looked out the window. And what took her by surprise was the fact that there were already students out in the school yard, dressed in workout outfits. It was strange to her, since P.E wasn't usually taught this early in the morning. _But hey, it was a unique school._

"You."

A figure loomed over her desk, and without turning her head, Akano switched her gaze to his tall form. It was a fellow classmate, she deduced. His most prominent feature was his messy untamed indigo colored hair that flared out in tufts.

"What?"

"You're in my seat." His voice was monotonous and held little emotion, besides a hint of irritation.

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Yumi sat up straight in her chair to properly face the boy. "What are you talking about?" She asked with a matching stoic look to his.

"I always sit by the window." He declared.

In the morning before the entrance ceremony, Shinso had sat at the very same desk but then had to leave for the hall. It was rather irritating that after returning, he found her in it.

He recognized her as the first year representative who had just given a speech in the opening ceremony. Hitoshi was finally getting a good look at her. She was a tall, fair-skinned girl with long red hair that extended to her mid back that had bangs hanging over her forehead. She possessed greenish blue eyes that were almost translucent and full pink lips.

The girl held this air of nonchalance, and she seemed to be unapproachable.

"Not anymore you don't." She bluntly replied back before looking away.

Shinso resisted the urge to scowl. Needless to say, he hated her type. Studious bookworms who thought everything and everyone was beneath them just because they got higher grades than everyone else.

The redhead seemed so disinterested in their conversation that it was bothering him. She needed to get off of her high horse. She had no right ignore him, just because she was pretty..

_Wait..pretty? What is he thinking? _

Yumi noticed how he sighed in frustration before turning his head to gaze out the window, probably to think of a way to urge her to get up. But then she noticed how his purple eyes darkened at the notice of something. She could _feel_ how frustrated and bitter he had gotten as he observed the class 1-A students running outside down in the school grounds. And she wondered why that was.

Shinso glanced back at her, his half-lidded eyes were now burning with jealous fury. He was already on edge, and now after seeing those hero _wannabes_, the blessed few, carelessly having the time of their lives, he lost it.

"Hey," He darkly said to Akano, with the full intention of activating his quirk. All she had to do was answer and he'd get her.

"Yes?"

_Bingo_.

"Get out of this chair and move."

"And _why_ would I do that?"

Shinso flinched when she answered him. "Eh??"

Her weren't dull nor liveless, still in their bright green form. She was scrunching her face at him, wondering why he was _demanding_ that she got up.

Shinso couldn't be anymore stunned. She wasn't supposed to be acting freely, there was supposed to be a blank look on her face and she wasn't supposed to be moving a muscle.

'_This is the first time it wouldn't work_..' Hitoshi's eyes widened in both panic, and surprise, watching as Yumi got up and pointed her finger at him.

"Just so you know, the seats aren't decided all willy nilly. There's a seating chart on the board right behind you." She nodded her head in its direction, and with nervous hesitation, Shinsou followed, a cold sweat on his cheek.

Yumi saw how confused the purple haired boy was and she sighed. "Since you're too out of it, I'll help. What's your name?"

"..Shinso Hitoshi." He muttered without thinking.

"Shinso..." She nodded, searching for his name. "Oh, seems we'll be sitting next to each other."

"_Huh_?"

"Let's get along as classmates, Shinso-kun."

_Yes, he was unfortunate indeed._

*

Classes seemed to pass by fast enough. By midday, there was a ten minute break that Yumi used to head to the bathroom.

On the way back to class, Akano took her time as she sauntered throughout the long hallways of the school. Her long tresses of wavy crimson hair was swinging with each step she took as she looked around at the spacious looking classrooms.

She was so preoccupied by the school's inner structure that she hadn't paid enough attention when she bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry." Yumi brushed her hair back with a brisk hand and apologized to the shorter girl.

"It's okay- Yu-chan?!" The girl gasped once she realised who she'd just bumped into.

Akano's eyes glinted in recognition as she took in the face of the puffy cheeked brunette. "Uraraka-san, right?"

A bright beam engulfed Uraraka at that moment. She was ecstatic that her savior from not long ago had remembered her name.

"There's no need to be formal, you can call me by my given name, Ochako, Yu-chan!"

Yumi's brows slightly perked from beneath her fringe. "Okay." She said with a nod. In all honesty, she was a bit relieved to be able to call someone by their first names. Since in Japan, one couldn't call someone else by their given name so freely, Yumi couldn't help but feel like she was walking on eggshells at times, because she was so used to the normal American custom in her previous life as Jean. Mentally shaking her head, Yumi dragged herself from her thoughts.

"So I see we both got accepted, that's a relief, Ochako-chan." She could feel her lips lifting into a small grin, which was a rare occasion for her in school, but she seemed to be infected by Uraraka's lighthearted aura.

"Mm!" Uraraks's cheeks notched upwards with her own matching, yet wider smile as she gave a sharp nod. "By the way, which class are you in?"

"1-C." Yumi replied.

"Oh! If I'm right, then that's the-"

"General Department, yes." Akano confirmed. She could spot the slightest hint of disappointment in the brunette's eyes but she brushed it off. "What about you?"

"1-A in the heroics class!" She beamed.

To say the least, Yumi wasn't surprised at the exclamation. Someone so bright like Ochako, so _pure_, of course she would make a good hero. "I see. Well, then good luck." She said and before Ochako could reply, the school's bell rang and echoed throughout the hallway.

"The bell.."

Yumi nodded. "Yeah, I have to go now. Bye."

"W-wait!" Uraraka called after Yumi.

"I'll see you around?" She fidgetingly asked, her fingers fumbling with the hem of her school skirt.

"Sure." Yumi confirmed with a soft smile.

At the answer, Urarakas beamed.


	6. Five

The white April sun rays shone through the classroom's large windows.

It was early, just before their morning homeroom would be commencing. Yumi's small delicate footsteps treaded along the polished floor as she entered the 1-C classroom. Once she crossed the threshold, a lot of eyes fell on her and their chatter had ceased all together. Due to her stunning appearance and diligence, her mere presence had changed the whole atmosphere of the classroom. She was so beautiful that no boy in their class even dared to directly speak to her so far, well except for Shinso on their first day.

Yumi looked ahead, not minding the gazes people sent her way, having been used to being the object of attention, whether it'd be good or bad. And she made her way to her desk before sitting down.

Not even a minute later, her seat mate had walked into the class, looking as sleep deprived as ever as he lazily plopped in his chair.

The two exchanged glances for a moment, and Yumi could spot the slightest hint of intrigue in his dark purple eyes.

He still wondered why his quirk didn't work on her.

"Good morning." She said with a small nod.

Turning his head from her and looking down to his desk, Hitoshi reciprocated the gesture. "Yeah, you too."

"Hey, Shinso, which middle school did you go to by the way?" Some guy approached the indigo haired boy, smiling wildy. It's been a few days since they've been classmates so pretty much everyone knew each other's names.

"Nabu Middle School." Shinso answered with a stoic expression plastered on his face.

Yumi was organizing her bag as the two teenage boys talked, but they were so close to her that she couldn't help but catch their conversation.

"I knew it! My cousin went there and he told me there was a guy with a mind control quirk. That's you, right?!"

Yumu froze at the statement, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second before returning back to normal.

"..Yeah." He gloomy replied and Yumi sensed the coldness in his voice.

At the loud words, a couple of their other classmates joined in. Yumi recognised one as Aoba, the Class Representative. "Wow, Shinso, your quirk is Brainwashing?" She wondrously asked.

"Seriously? That's amazing! I've never heard of that before!"

Yumi stared at her fellow 1-C students, her cheek were resting on the open palm of her hand. She could tell that there was something hiding behind their impressed and awed words.

"I'm so jealous I can't believe you can control anyone! You can do as much bad stuff as you want! No one'd know it was you." A guy, named Wakamatsu said with a suggestive smirk.

Shinso released a dry chuckle as he awkwardly fanned a hand through his wild indigo hair.

"But it's kind of terrifying when you think about it." Aoba said, slightly frowning.

"Don't control us, okay?"

Hitoshi clenched his teeth, his hands forming fists at their presumptuous words.

'_Everyone says that_.' He bitterly thought to himself before closing his eyes in frustration.

Of course, if someone else had it, the first thing he'd think is that they'd use it for evil, too. 'Criminal', and 'It's good for being a villain, huh?', he was used to people insinuating that about him. That was just what the world was like.

He sighed before he looked up at them. "I wouldn't." Plastering on a fake grin, Shinso said.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Yumi wouldn't tear her eyes away from Shinso, watching as his facial expression contorted from neutral to distressed then to an unbelievably fake alleviated one.

'_Ah, it's happening again_.' She solemnly said to herself as her temple began to ache once more.

Yumi's empathic abilities were no picnic.

It happened whenever someone around was in a heightened emotional state. And while she could control it at times, there were moments where she just couldn't handle it.

She looked at him, feeling a weight settle on her chest and a knot bending in her stomach as she gazed at his face, which was scrunched in sullen defeat.

Yumi had to bite the inside of her cheek. She could feel everything that Shinso was feeling right now. The emotional turmoil of feeling scrutinised, the disarray of being judged while not having done anything wrong. She felt everything, from the bitterness he felt to the pain he couldn't withstand.

She didn't even need her telepathic abilities to understand what he was going through. Shinso has been always feared by those who were aware of his power and has been discriminated against solely because of the quirk he was born with. _Just like she was in her previous life, just like all the mutants in the past. _

But the X-Men had to do with feeling like an outcast while simultaneously feeling like part of a family. Mutants were ostracized because they were different but they were bound together because of their differences. And while it was true for her for the most part, Jean still sometimes felt like an outcast.

_Jean was different from the rest of the mutants at Xavier's school. She possessed an incredibly powerful mutation that sometimes left her at its mercy. According to Professor X, she was an Omega-level mutant, meaning that it was far too advanced than the rest.__In her earlier years in the boarding school, Jean displayed instances of uncontrolled pschokinetic fits, where she would unintentionally cause the house to shake, simulating an earthquake or simply just shattering any glass object in her proximity. This alone marked her as someone who the other students didn't want to associate with, in fear for themselves.__She was always followed by judgemental stares, other students pointing and gossiping about her. It was so obvious that it drew someone's, a newcomer's, attention to her.__"They're not scared of you, they're scared of me." Jean declared.__Scott Summers, who would later on in the future become her first and only love looked at her in confusion.__"You're not the only one who can't fully control your powers." She said with a strained smile.__She was a freak amongst freaks. _

Yumi found it ironic, at the time she wasn't even possessed with that volatile, unstable force, but she still struggled to keep her mutation at bay. She had still hurt someone.

The red haired teenager was so preoccupied with flashbacks of her bitter past that she hadn't noticed that Shinso had caught her gaze and was staring back at her with a quizzical expression.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Shaking her head, Yumi titled her head to stare at the board.

"Nothing."

Shinso continued to occasionally look her way.

*

Running was something Akano Yumi enjoyed.

She often felt in control as she exercised her muscles, breaking a sweat as she did. And not to mention, it was a great outlet for any pent up emotion she held-as taught by her former mentor, Raven. So naturally, it became a hobby of hers after she'd regained memories of her past life, sometimes going out on a run with her old man who was surprisingly athletic, and most of the time on her own.

So she didn't mind -or rather, enjoyed- their P.E fitness test.

"Akano-san is amazing, isn't she?"

"Her style and deposition are great, but when she shows off her athleticism, it's like she's on a different level of awesome."

Shinso's eyebrow twitched. He was getting more than tired of the absurd infatuation the boys and girls had for her. As he stared at the P.E uniform-clad Akano jogging, he knew that even though she was ignoring all of it, most of the praise was getting to her head.

"Not to mention, her grades are top notch.."

Sure, Yumi was incredibly beautiful -not that he would openly admit it- and that wasn't just limited to within their class or school. Even compared to TV or magazines idols, she was pretty cute. She was, smart and a hard worker on top of her good looks. Shinsou was sure that everyone thought of her as a girl they could brag about in their future, saying 'I was once a classmate of Akano Yumi.'

_Who wouldn't get cocky after all that? _

Shinso chose to remain silent as he sat on one of the benches in the yard, since he was already out of breath after the minimal physical activity he could pull.

And that's when he heard the guy next to him asking his friend a question that made him flinch.

"I wonder why someone like her isn't in the hero course?"

The boy's friend shrugged with a slight smirk. "Lucky for us."

Shinso sighed. Fortunately, the incessant chatter stopped once Akano approached them to get some water.

"This is so not fair, don't you think, Akano-san?" Aoba asked, brushing back her blonde hair as she stood beside Yumi. Shinso noticed that she had been sticking to her all day.

After she took a refreshing gulp of cold water, Yumi tilted her head in curiosity. "How so?"

"Class 1-A and 1-B were allowed to use their quirks for the fitness exam." She replied and Shinso listened intently at the mention of the heroics course.

With a shrug, Yumi bent down to fix her loose shoe laces. "Well it can't be helped. They're _aspiring heroes_ after all." She said, her eyes shadowed by her fringe as she did. After she stood up straight, Shinso was able to see how her bright green eyes had slightly darkened afterwards.

"I've been meaning to ask, but what quirk do you have?" Aoba asked with a smile.

Most of the people by his side and Shinso himself paid incredible attention to find out her answer. A part of him derived pleasure from the thought that someone like her wasn't perfect, perhaps possessing a weak quirk that wasn't strong enough to grant her access to the heroics course, or maybe she didn't even have one at all.

"I want to know, too!" Wakamatsu, the same guy and the others from earlier who had cornered Hitoshi about his quirk circled around her, in the same pressuring way as they did him, but they were expecting something glamorous from her.

Blinking, Yumi was quick to answer. "I have an ESP based quirk."

"Heh~" One of them chirped, although not really understanding what it was.

Narrowing his eyes, Shinso queried. "What does that entail?"

Yumi looked his way. "I can get inside people's heads, read their minds."

At her answer, Hitoshi flinched at the realization, stupefaction added to the range of emotions on his face, his purple eyes boring into her.

Aoba's eyes widened, mouth half open in amusement. "Woow, it's kind of similar to Shinso-kun's."

"But less scary." Someone added.

"Right? Still, don't get inside our heads though, Akano-san." The blonde added with a giggle.

Yumi stared at her relentlessly, almost in a glare. She had already gotten on her nerves after what she and the rest had said to Shinso. It wasn't that she knew him well enough to care, but his situation had struck a nerve with her.

Green eyes traveling between Aoba and briefly at Shinso, Yumi looked back at the blonde bully. "I'll do what I want." She scoffed before walking away, leaving a group of perplexed classmates and a rather surprised Shinso.

**A/N:-****Hey guys!****So I know that the story seems to be progressing rather slowly, especially since it will be a Various x OC and Yumi still haven't met the majority of the BnHA characters. I just wanted to make it clear that the Sports Festival is when she'd get to meet and interact with our lovely boys, and once she does, there will be lots of our sweet Todoroki and angry Bakugo and the rest of the awesomeness that is 1-A.****So, don't worry, the Sports Festival is coming real soon!****Also, I'd love to hear what you think of Yumi x Shinso so far?**


	7. Six

_"Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained."_

~

"It was hard because we were up against really strong, and _aggressive_ opponents. But thankfully we won at the end!" Uraraka Ochako excitedly boosted to Akano who sat across from her at the table. The two were in the main cafeteria, where U.A students could eat gourmet food at reasonable prices. Not that Yumi usually ate there since her mother packs a lunch for her almost everyday.

"That's good to hear." Yumi hummed as Uraraka continously babbled on about their basic hero training session, taught by the one and only, All Might.

The redhead subconsciously smiled softly at the gushing brunette, who she quickly became friends with. It was a surprise to her at first, but as they spent more time -meeting in the hallways and occasionally having lunch together- Yumi grew fond of Ochako. She was very bubbly and kind of an airhead at times, which only added to her adorable appeal.

As she listened intently to Uraraka, a part of Yumi's mind couldn't help but drift off a bit in thought.

'_I became aware that I was reincarnated at the age of six. And even though I spoke nothing of it, the situation created a wall around me. As a child, I'd understood too much of this world. It subconsciously frightened everyone away from me. While some were jealous of me, and some adored me from a distance, I never made any friends. It wasn't as though I had any doubts on that score. But.._'

"Deku-kun was amazing! He went up against Bakugou-kun and still managed to coordinate with me so I could retrieve the weapon! I'm still shaking from excitement!" Uraraka added, flapping her arms up and down in the air.

'_To my amazement, from the start, Ochako treated me normally_.' Yumi nodded, resting her cheek atop the open palm of her right hand. She was staring so intensely at the brunette that it made her halt her chatter.

Uraraka smiled nervously, lifting a hand to briskly rub the back of her head. "I'm sorry for ranting, I must be boring you, Yu-chan."

'_And she's the first to add a '-chan' to my name other than my parents_.'

The redhead shook her head, feeling the corners of her lips lifting. "Not at all. It's just.. You look like you're having a lot of fun."

'_How lucky.'_ Yumi could helplessly feel a surge of jealousy stirring up in her insides. She gulped, not remembering the last time she was _this_ passionate about something.

Probably _never_ in this lifetime.

"Mmm!" Uraraka chirped, dedicating a sharp nod of confirmation to Yumi. "I want you to meet them someday, Deku-kun and Iida-kun!" She declared, getting up to her feet once she noticed Yumi standing up, as well.

Nodding, Yumi shoved her bento box back into a paper bag. "Sure." She softly said, and it prompted the widening of Ochako's wide grin.

"Oh, there they are!"

The red haired teen glanced to see who uraraka was pointing at from afar, and she saw two boys. She couldn't make out their features from a distance, but one was significantly taller than the other, wearing glasses, while the other possessed wild green hair. Yumi nodded at her. "You go ahead, I have some papers I need to get from the teacher for our next class." She said and Uraraka slightly gasped.

"Yu-chan, you're the class rep?" It wouldn't be a surprise to her if she was, since Yumi was so competent. She would always hear other first years from the other classes pointing and gossiping about Yumi when she hung around her. It seemed that only her class, 1-A, didn't know who Yumi was since they'd missed the entrance ceremony because of their quirk apprehension test.

She really was awesome, Uraraka thought.

Yumi shook her head. "No, I'm just filling in for her today."

"Oh we picked ours just today!" Ochako beamed.

Yumi's lips slightly parted. "Really? We did that on our second day. But I guess you guys have a lot on your plate."

"You could say that, hehe.." The brunette muttered nervously before smiling up at the taller girl. "Oh! Well, then good luck, Yu-chan."

"Bye bye!" She yelled out as she strided towards her two male friends.

Yumi waved back to the brunette, while she clutched the paper bag that contained her bento box in her other hand. With a sigh, the redhead began to leave Lunch Rush's eatery and she advanced towards the hallway. She blended into the crowd rather seamlessly as she walked out of the cafeteria.

However, as she made her way throughout the spacious corridor, a loud sound boomed across the whole of the school.

'_An alarm_?' Yumi's brows furrowed in confusion, her eyes darting around to and meet with other students in the hallway with her.

"**_There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly_**."

The announcement blared through the speakers high up on the wall. The confused chattering rose and one of the girls approached Yumi in slight panic.

"What's 'Level 3 security'?" She asked, a cold sweat on her cheek.

Yumi had thoroughly read the student handbook on the way to school one day, and since she had a photographic memory she was sure that-

"It means someone is trespassing on school grounds." She answered in a straightforward manner and the girl panicked.

"That's bad! We need to hurry then!" She said before sprinting away in the direction of the stairs.

Nodding, Yumi was stopped once she saw the other students rushing out of the classes and the cafeteria and started to pool into the hallway. They were so quick that it took less than a second for Yumi to be sandwiched by the huge crowds.

Yumi gasped for breath, maneuvering her way from the suffocating bodies as she settled against one of the classroom doors.

"Don't push!"

"Wait, I'm falling!"

"I said, don't push! Ow!"

The chaos and disarray erupted among the U.A students as they frantically tried to make their way out of the school and Yumi huffed in annoyance.

It was to be expected from such a prestigious school, everyone reacted quickly in a time of crisis, but the problem was that they were so quick that it was causing an unnecessary panic amongst the students. And Yumi's temple began to painfully throb at their distressed emotions and terrified thoughts.

'_Who in the world trespassed_?' She internally contemplated, holding her paper bag-clad bento box closer to her chest. Yumi wasn't worried in the least. Most of the faculty members were Pro Heroes, so who in their right mind would just waltz into the main campus. And while she seemed to be painfully stuck here, she was sure that the crowds would dissipate in no time.

Less than a minute then had passed when Yumi sensed the loudest, and gut-wrenching mind amongst the crowds.

'_It's no good. What should I do_?' She heard the soft yet masculine inner voice of someone near her. Their thoughts were jumbled up, mind was calling out for help.

Green eyes traveling across the bustling corridor, Yumi was able to find the source of the distressed psychic signal. And she saw a guy with messy, indigo hair. He looked slightly older than her, but that wasn't what caught her attention. His school uniform was disheveled, he looked sickly pale, and his eyes were clenched shut as the waves of people pushed him around. His lower lip trembled and he looked like he was about to faint.

'_What's with him_?' Yumi wondered as she continued to stare at him from afar, she opted to continue to listen to his thoughts in order to figure out if he was alright.

A short stutter echoed from his mind to hers. '_M-my mind's blank_..' Even his inner voice was shaky and trembled before he gulped harshly. The constant pushing and pulling of the people around him making him nauseous like he was on a boat swinging by choppy waves.

'_He'll be fine_.' Yumi tried to convince herself as she pursed her lips. '.._right_?'

'I_-I can't breathe..I want to go home_!' He gasped for air, his chest tightening as fit of panic overcame the older boy. He clutched at his shirt with clenched fists and he wheezed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

His eyelids flew open at the gentle voice.

Yumi had fought her way through the crowds and made it to the especially panicked teen.

The indigo colored irises of the teenager wavered as he stared her, and then he gave a nervous -yet untruthful- nod.

Frowning, Akano placed a worried hand over his hunched shoulder but then she quickly retracted it once she saw him flinching at the contact. "You're really not, though." She mumbled to herself.

Releasing a sigh, Yumi grabbed hold of his sleeve. "Come with me." She demanded and the indigo haired boy reluctantly followed.

Yumi then lead the both of them into an empty classroom as the rest of the students still struggled outside in the corridor.

"Better?" She asked the gasping boy, and the corner of her lips pulled downwards when she saw him hunching over and resting his hands on his shaky knees. His whole body was shaking and he was still sweating profusely.

He was having a panic attack.

She didn't know why she was so concerned for him. She just couldn't leave him alone. Maybe it was one part her empathic quirk, and two parts her full knowledge of how difficult panic attacks were.

As Jean Grey, in her earlier years, she struggled with her telepathic control to an agonizing extent. Whenever they got out of hand, Jean would eventually succumb to her anxiety and it would have a crippling effect on all her bodily functions. But her father figure, Professor Charles, showed her a neat little trick that helped calm her down.

"Here. Use this." She suggested, pulling her lunchbox from the paper bag and handing him the latter. The indigo haired male glanced up at her and she caught the flicker of wonder in his eyes. "It's helpful, I used to get panic attacks a lot when I was younger." She added.

'_He doesn't need to know in which lifetime that was_.'

With shaky hands, he received the brown bag from her, all the while avoiding eye contact.

Yumi's eyebrows jolted upwards when she saw that instead of breathing in and out into bag, he _pulled it over his head to hide his face. _

"Oh, _my god_, that's not how I meant you should use it." Yumi's lips were half parted in amusement and slight shock. It was a rather comedic sight with him standing up straight, his head hidden under the bag.

Yumi huffed as she approached him and pulled the bag off him. She then redirected over his mouth. "Try breathing in and out into the bag." His lips pressed together, he nodded before complying.

The bag deflated and inflated as he inspired and expired smoothly with its help. Yumi could see his eyes widening as if he discovered the secrets to the universe. He was ecstatic about the helpful hack that he kept frantically breathing in out -aggressively so- that the bag's integrity was compromised under the pressure and it popped with a loud ear piercing sound.

Yumi's noss scrunched when she saw how his disappointed face turned the same shade of purple as his hair. All the while, his arms and legs were trembling throughout the whole ordeal.

'_What's with him? He's like anxiety with legs_.' Yumi thought to herself.

"W-well, I've come to find that talking helps through this kind of thing. We're in a school bustling with pro heroes, I'm sure there's nothing to panic about. She assured, trying to calm him down. "I'm Akano Yumi, a first year." The redhead introduced. The older teen just looked at his feet, no acknowledging her presence.

"Are you an upperclassman?"

Still, she was met with silence.

"Does this kind of thing happen often in this school?" She asked again, wondering if the hallways were still cramped with their fellow students.

Eventually, he abruptly faced away from her and leaned into a wall to hide his face from hers.

'_Welp, I guess talking it out isn't an option_.' She shrugged, feeling a sweat forming and trickling down her cheek. The guy seemed to want to sink into the wall and never come out.

Perhaps it was that he suffered from severe social anxiety and that's why he couldn't normally interact with her.

'_Maybe my presence isn't helping after all_.'

Brushing her hair back, Yumi made her way to the the door to give him the space he needed. "Try to calm down, I'll see if things have settled outside." She said as she walked passed him.

The boy flinched when he saw her leaving, a gesture missed by her. _Was she annoyed with him_? That was expected, his shoulders dropped lower. Of course everyone would grow tired of someone this awkward and antisocial. He continuously berated himself, swallowing the lump in his throat.

'_Don't go_.'

Yumi's footsteps halted as she abruptly stopped after hearing his mind desperately calling out for her. Her eyes went wide for a moment at the realization. He suffered in the presence of others but still didn't want to be alone..

With a sigh, Akano brought two of her fingers and placed it against her corresponding temple. She breathed in sharply upon the painful entry into his mind. It usually wasn't this difficult for Jean to do so, but it's been so long since she's went inside someone's head. Yumi could feel her mind throbbing as she accessed his slightly messier one, but she ignored the feeling and headed straight into the brightest corner of his mind, to search for something, anything that would drag him out of this jumbled state. It was difficult at first, since she'd been so out of practice, but Yumi calmed her breathing, and her face relaxed, mustering all the focus she had. And then she broke through the barrier. A small smile of satisfaction went up her lips when she saw a flicker of the thing she needed.

The indigo haired male noticed that instead of leaving, the redhead had opted to stay, which made him slightly relaxed. However, when she started walking towards him instead, he started panicking once more. His heartbeat spiked with each step she took towards him. He jolted when he felt her placing a hand on his shoulder, promoting him to turn around. She was so close to him and he stood on shaky legs. He was taller than her, almost towering over her but that didn't matter to him. His anxiety making him feel so little in comparison. He wasn't usually like this, he could handle talking to strangers for small periods of time. It was large groups of people that made him feel like retching. And even though lhe was currently isolated from the crows, the unpleasant tightness in his chest wouldn't go away.

"Senpai, look here." She said gesturing for him to focus on her clenched fist that she'd raised in front of him. Slowly and carefully, Yumi opened up her hand to reveal what was inside. "What do you see?" She asked.

His eyes widened at the sight.

"..-tterfly." He unfroze, trembling a little, eyes wide in disbelief. He stared down and then back up, looking at her and then back at the blue butterfly that rested on the palm of her hand. ".. Th-that's..a butterfly."

'_He talked_' Yumi victoriously thought to herself, feeling a surge of satisfaction overcoming her insides.

Watching the serene blue butterfly fluttering its wings and beginning to fly around them, his face relaxed and he closed his eyes, relishing in seeing his favorite thing. He looked almost peaceful.

Yumi nodded to herself.

As it flew around, the upperclassman went cross eyed trying to follow it once it landed on his nose. His hand inched closer to his face, and tried to use his index finger to nudge the butterfly off his nose, but instead, his finger went through it. The insect flickering before it completely vanished into thin air.

"..I made it disappear.." He said, clutching his head. "What's _wrong_ with me?" He excruciated, closing his eyes. Yumi was quick to wave a dismissive hand at him.

"No, no, you don't have to worry. It, wasn't real to begin with." She assured, lifting her index finger to point at her head. Her words were breezy, her voice calm and he enjoyed it. "I just convinced your mind that it is."

"..quirk?"

"Did you say something?"

"I-is that y-your quirk?" He stammered.

The redhead nodded. "Mmm, I have an ESP based quirk, so that's how I could tell you were having a hard time." She explained, her eyes darting to the door, noticing that there were no longer any sounds from outside. Meanwhile, he was just watching her.

"But still, butterflies calming you down..kind of unexpected." She continued. There was a playful note in her voice that reached her eyes.

Once she looked back at him, he was quick to avert his gaze from her, nervously pursing his lips as he did.

"More importantly, did you notice, Senpai?" Unconsciously, Yumi raised one of her hands and placed it on top of his. Her touch was comfortable and warm, her heat seeping into his cold clammy hands. "You stopped trembling. That's good." The corner of Yumi's lips lifted, and a smile graced her features. She soothed him with a shimmer in her translucent green eyes.

The guy didn't know if was it the gentle touch or her beautiful smile, but he felt the heat rushing from his neck and upto his pointed ears.

Sliding the door open, Yumi looked both ways down the hall to see no one there. "Oh, things settled down, it looks like it was a false alarm. Hmm? Why is your face red?" Yumi tilted her head to the side, seeing the flush of crimson erupting across his cheeks.

"..It's nothing." He closed his, looking down once again.

"I wondered what it was, but it's just the media." Yumi stated, walking side by side with the quiet upperclassman. She wasn't usually this talkative, but there was something about him that urged her to want to comfort him. "Now that you're okay, I guess I'll see you around." She softly said, giving him a short bow before muttering a quick, "Bye."

Opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, he tried to reply, but then he dejectedly pressed his lips together as he watched the redhead walk away. He wondered why his heart ached with the sight of her figure disappearing in the distance.

"Tamaki! I was looking all over for you!" The blonde (sunshine boy) declared as he strided towards his friend.

"Oh, Mirio." The socially constipated Tamaki glanced up to see him.

"Where were you? I was worried about you since you don't do well in crowded places."

Amajiki Tamaki looked down to gaze at his hand, the same one Yumi had held ever so gently, and a fond smile overtook his feature, the smallest blush returning to his cheeks.

"What, why are you smiling? Did something good happen?"

"Mmm." Tamaki hummed in response.

**A/N:-****Lmao, I wanted Yumi to make Tamaki see Mirio instead of that butterfly, but he just wouldn't fit in the palm of her hand you guys.****Let me know what you think of this one!**


	8. Seven

Yumi had felt off all morning.

A surge of premonitory feelings was rushing through her as she made her way to school.

She wasn't sure why she had felt that way, but she'd decided to push it away as their homeroom teacher walked into class.

"Okay, take your seats." Harada-sensei instructed, and the students who had been out of their desks immediately complied. Unlike with the heroics course, the General Ed department was taught by regular teachers and not Pro Heroes. Yet another reason why the majority of Yumi's class envied them.

"I have good news for you today." The female teacher announced, her glinting eyes glancing at Yumi as she proudly announced the news. Said redhead already knew what it was since they'd called her parents the night before.

"Akano-san won the grand prize for the English essay contest. The award ceremony will be next month."

Shinso turned his head to the quiet Yumi who was seated next to him, while the rest of their classmates uttered their words of fascination to one another.

Yumi internally smiled as she thought back to her father's and mother's reaction, and their insistence that they go out and celebrate the good news. Though annoyance took over her,ginger brow twitching slightly when she heard someone whispering and saying, "It's almost scary that she has no weaknesses."

She wouldn't be lying if said that Yumi that she wasn't fond of the majority of her classmates. They were all too similar to the ones in her middle school. Far too shallow and easily impressionable. That's how they all were throughout her school years. She'd excused them in the very beginning, telling herself that they were just kids and still haven't matured outside their juvenile nature. Or that maybe the fault was with her because she was too mentally developed for their age. But she was in high school now, and as days passed, she was nearing the age -seventeen years old- at which she had passed.

In Kanagawa Gakuen, almost everyone was fawning over her without actually ever knowing who she was. And then after a certain incident; a rumor spread by a guy in her class, everyone sort of started to badmouth her, saying that she was 'arrogant' and thought she was 'better than all of them'.

The only person in this class who she didn't mind was Shinso Hitoshi. They weren't the bestest of friends or anything, and they barely spoke to each other outside of the classroom, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was her favorite amongst her classmates. He was partial to her and didn't seem to particularly like or dislike her. Granted, there were moments where she would catch him staring at her for no apparent reason, and he would quickly avert his gaze after being caught.

Perhaps she favored him because it's been a long time since she's related so intensely to someone. Yumi knew exactly how Shinso felt in her past life, being judged for the power they were born with. And as a result, they both lead lives lined with insecurities and doubt.

On the other hand, Hitoshi wondered why Akano casually spoke to him without having her guard up. As he sat there, he found that his purple irises would involuntarily be fixed on her serene form. His eyes drawn to hers like a magnet.

She was weird.

Yumi occasionally approached him and talked to him without a hint of nervousness or fear, which greatly intrigued him. But it also oddly made him.._happy_.

Most people were on edge when talking to Shinso, all in fear of being brainwashed by him, scared of turning into mindless puppet. But not her.

He tried not to think of her friendliness towards too much, as hard as he could. Perhaps Akano didn't really think it through. For a smartass, she wasn't very attentive. Maybe she was really an airhead.

Or maybe she knew his powers didn't affect her.

"Akano-san, do you want to go to a karaoke bar with us?"

It was the end of the school day, and Yumi was quietly packing her bag when the all too friendly Aoba approached her.

Glancing up for a second then looking down to her bag once more , Yumi politely shook her head no. "Sorry, I have to go somewhere with my parents."

Aoba's upbeat smile turned into a frown. "Too bad.. Maybe next time?"

"Sure." Yumi muttered.

The blonde girl turned on the balls of her feet to leave, but quickly half-turned to the indigo haired boy. "What about you, Shinso?" She asked, but the invitation didn't seem all that genuine to Yumi, more so forced out of politeness.

"No, thanks." Hitoshi bluntly said, refusing to even look at the class rep who quickly shrugged and walked away.

Seeing Shinso readying to leave, Yumi couldn't stop herself from speaking to, him.

"You should've went with them. Get along with our classmates." She suggested, hoping that if he spent more time with them, they would grow to understand him. And he wouldn't feel so..isolated and rejected.

Shinso turned his head to glance at the redhead, his face void of any expression. "I'm not here to make friends, I won't be staying in this class for long anyway." He stated, and a spark of determination could be spotted in his purple eyes.

"Why do you say that?" Yumi asked, curiosity etched into her face.

"I'll make sure I get transferred into the hero course by next year. It was my first choice after all." He said, clenching his fists that were placed on his desk.

Yumi continuously stared at his displeased look, figuring out what he meant. '_But you were rejected_.' She deduced, her eyes half lidded.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Yumi hummed, trying to alleviate the mood. "Heh~, so you applied to be a hero?"

At her words, Shinso scowled as he glared at her.

She didn't even have to push _that_ button.

"Why is _that_ so hard to believe? You probably don't get it, but even with a quirk like this, I have my own dream." He venomously bit out, whipping his face in the opposite direction away from her as he harshly bit on his lip.

Yumi slightly widened her eyes, a quizzical look forming on her face. "Why won't I get it? Your power is befitting of a hero."

Shinso flinched, his body froze for a second before he aggressively looked back at her. "Huh?! Are you making fun of me-" He quickly looked her way, about to yell at her for mocking him, thinking she was being sarcastic as she said the same supportive words he longed to hear. But then, his eyebrows jolted upwards once he saw her earnest expression.

Her voice didn't sound nervous or anything, more so perplexed. Her translucent green gaze on him was unwavering. "You could easily take down villains with the will of your mind, that's amazing." She admired.

He reminded her of the Professor. Even though Shinso wasn't a full on telepath, he possessed one of the power range of one. Jean was never able to master her telepathy as well as Charles Xavier, who could not only read minds but also manipulate and control them. She only got as far as to alter people's perception, a feat that she could only accomplish with her focus solely on a single person, unlike with Professor X who could get into a number of people's minds. In all truth, her telepathy was ordinary compared to his, that was for sure.

_But it was her telekinesis that frightened her. _

Shinso mulled over her words in silence, as if trying to come to grips with himself.

"You're weird." He mumbled after calming down, but there was a weird sensation bubbling in his stomach as his eyes met with her green ones. "Most people say that my quirk is suited for a villain." He said.

"Well, that's just dumb." Yumi scoffed. "If you really think about it that way then every quirk could be considered villainous." She stated in the manner of fact.

'_Just like mine_.' She grimly thought to herself.

There was a silence -a comfortable one- that draped over the two. And Shinso's eyes drifted to their chuckling classmates, a sullen look forming on his face as he remembered their judgmental words. As if she's read his mind, Yumi surprised him when she said,

"Don't let them get to you."

Shinso scoffed, rolling his eyes. He was used to this sort of treatment. "I don't need you to tell me that."

A slightly bemused Yumi hummed. "I'm just saying, I know what it's like to be feared for the power you were born with."

"What are you talking about? Everyone _adores_ you." Purple eyebrows furrowed, Shinso asked her in a mildly scrutinizing tone.

"That's because they don't know me."

At her reply, Shinso looked thoughtful for a moment. "You really do keep to yourself, huh?"

The corners of Yumi's lips lifted into a graceful smile, her pale cheeks notched upwards causing her eyes to partly close. "What's wrong with having yourself be the only one who knows who you truly are?" She asked Shinso in a playful tone, and his widening eyes were solely focused on her at the given moment.

To say that the indigo haired teenage boy was taken aback would be an understatement. It was the first time he'd seen her smile. In that moment she looked so..dazzling.

He continued to gaze at her, the poor boy in a daze that lasted for a good minute.

Hitoshi shifted in place, a little too flustered to properly meet her gaze, but he managed a sideways glance. "W-what about you?" He stammered.

"What _about_ me?" Yumi asked, wondering why his cheeks were suddenly stained red.

"Aren't you interested the heroics course?"

Yumi's eyes turned dull, her smile fading as she looked ahead, her gaze far off into the distance. And he didn't miss that, perplexity was blinking on his features.

"I have no interest in _playing hero_."

The way she said it may have seemed that she was perhaps belittling the line of profession. But it was the contrary. She was making fun of _herself_, because she knew that position was unreachable to her. Because she knew she wasn't good enough after everything she'd done.

Gritting her teeth, Yumi shuffled to her feet, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Then, I'll see you around."

"..Yeah." Shinso said as he watched her walk away.

*

The sun had set and a subtle darkness was upon the streets of Tokyo.

"Where are we going?" Yumi queried from the backseat of her father's car. The three members of the Akano family had gone for a drive shortly after Yumi arrived home, as per her parents' promise to celebrate her essay prize.

Akito chuckled, his hands steady on the steering wheel. "I told you, it's a secret!"

With a tilt of her head, Yumi stated the obvious as she glanced between Akito and Chiharu who was in the passenger seat. "You know I can read your mind, right?"

"You wouldn't dare." Akito trailed off with a challenging tone as he speeded along the road. "..would you?" He added, a bead of sweat on his cheek. Her mother released a giggle.

"Who knows." Yumi shrugged with a smile as she looked out the car. Wind rushed in through the windows as they drove, and Yumi let out a huff as she fought against the red hair that tangled in her face.

"Still, to win a prize so soon into the school year, you're really amazing, Yumi-chan." Chiharu said, pride swelling in her tone of voice.

A small blush formed on Yumi's cheeks. "It's no big deal, you don't need to make a fuss about it."

"It _is_ a big deal! Your papa is so proud of you."

"I told you to stop calling yourself that, it's getting creepy."

"Mi-chan, so mean!"

Yumi stifled a laugh and shook her head at her father's well-meaning idiocy.

Then for a few minutes, there was silence that fell upon them that was interrupted by Yumi's mother.

"Can you change the station?" She asked, and Akito hummed in response.

"When the song's over, honey."

Yumi's eyes went wide at their words, a feeling of deja vu washing over her brain as they continued to speak.

"You said that two songs ago." Chiharu argued with a slight pout.

'_This conversation_..' Yumi's breathing picked up and she started to perspirate.

She couldn't forget those words. Those exact, very same set of words that were last uttered by her parents, her previous parents. Even though Jean was eight years old at the time, she couldn't forget it. _How could she?__This conversation took place during the very last car ride she had with John and Elaine Grey before their car crashed._

Yumi's blood ran cold as she looked at her father continue to speak.

"You know this is a classic, right?" He announced in a relaxed voice, his hands twisting the steering wheel onto a lane that Yumi _knew_ he shouldn't. She jumped from her seat and her father was startled.

"WATCH OUT!" She screamed as loud as she could when she could hear that ominous sound of a truck's horn.

"What-!"

"Akito!"

Akito and Chiharu's screams echoey and in the distance as the large truck hastily went in their way. None of them could see how frantically the driver was trying to hit the brakes or moving away, but failing to do so from how tight the lane was.

Everything seemed to be going so fast for Yumi in that moment as she saw the truck only a hair width away from their car, and so slow that she could see everything. Her mind setting out the outcome of this crash, and her breathing ceased.

'_No_.'

Her parents are going to die.

'_Not again_.'

Her reason to live would cease to exist.

'_Stop_.'

She's going to have no one to soothe her aching existence.

As if a switch flipped in her head, Yumi started to act. She raised her arm frantically, and spread out the palm of her hand in a fluid motion.

Her fear of herself didn't matter at this moment. Nothing mattered, except for her urge to protect her family.

Her heightened senses were fully focused and her muscles and telekinetic abilities were already prepared to react.

Then, she blocked the impending crash of metal with the wave of her hand.

Releasing a shaky breath, Yumi created a protective force field out of psychokinetic energy to protect them from the strike. She had made it to envelope the outer surface of both their car and their truck, making sure that no harm would come to neither of the people inside the vehicles.

The truck driver and Yumi's parents braced for impact, thinking they had no other choice but to do so.

And then the truck collided against her invisible shield. It was a wave of unstoppable force crashing against an immovable object. The sound alone was incredible.

The frozen Chiharu had clenched her eyes shut at the moment of the crash, while Akito couldn't close them for a second at the sight. His whole body had been shaking out of fear, at his and his family's impending death, until he saw it.

He saw his daughter saving them.

The truck's tires screeched as they pushed and pushed against the invisible shield, neither vehicles moving out of place as they stood unaffected due to her protection.

Yumi's fingers ached and stretched, and her head throbbed with an intense, stabbing pain as she projected her telekinesis. The one she'd been holding back for _years_. It felt so good..

She was trembling on the inside, but her stance was still as her number one task was to ensure their safety. She knew that everything rode on her shoulders at this moment.

It all happened way too fast, even though it seemed like forever for the people involved. And when the truck wheels finally gave up under the resistance. The effect of the withholding shield and the brakes the man had been pumping was finally taking place. It had come to an end.

Yumi's panting didn't cease, and if anything it increased as she stopped her ministrations. Her fringe was stuck to her sweaty forehead as she let her arm droop by her side, her eyes wide open.

After hearing Chiharu's choked sobs, Yumi's was dragged back to reality, whipping her head in their direction. Without a single thought, Yumi jumped forward into the front compartment of the car, noticing how they were frozen in place (which was understandable after the incident).

"MOM! DAD!" She shakily yelled out, the concern reverberating in her voice. And her hands flew to their shoulders, gripping onto theirs for dear life.

"Are you okay?!" Tears descended down her face as she flipped around to squeeze them both into a desperate hug.

"Yumi!" Chiharu cried out, hugging her daughter back with trembling hands.

"Thank-god-you're-okay-" Yumi sobbed, each word was punctuated by her cries.

Akito's onyx eyes glistened with tears as he saw how fragile and weak his daughter was after the thought of losing them had crossed her mind.

"Mi-chan.." He mumbled, lips pursed. "MI-Chan! Chi-chan!" He said, wrapping his hands around both his wife and daughter.

Yumi's eyes were clenched shut, her insides churning, partly out of relief that she was able to save them, and the other part was out of how frightening the fact that she could lose them both in an instant.

"I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you!"


	9. Eight

"What the hell happened here?" A passerby asked as he looked around the closed off street. A couple of ambulances were stationed near a truck and a car, the smaller of the two vehicles seemingly fine, while the truck's fender and bumper were wrecked.

Yumi's ears picked up on the people's chatter despite the bustling traffic. Her shoulders slouched as she sat inside one of the ambulances.

"A car crash?"

"It's a miracle no one was hurt.."

"I heard it was someone's quirk."

Green eyes turned dull as she recalled the last car crash she was involved in as Jean Grey. How she had been unharmed, and how people spoke about her as if she was a freak of nature.

_"She doesn't have a scratch on her. No internal injuries."__"And you're sure she was in the car?"_

Jean had been only eight years old at the time and she'd lost both of her parents due to her uncontrolled powers. She could vividly remember how confused and frightened she was. How she '_miraculously_' emerged safe and sound. She knew now why that was. It was all because she'd subconsciously protected herself with a shield of psychokinetic energy after she'd unintentionally flipped the car over. But now the fifteen year old Yumi was able to save her family with the power she oh-so loathed and repressed for so many years.

It was a lot to take in.

"Do you feel nauseous or lightheaded?" The medic asked as he passed by the light torch in front of Yumi's pupil, letting out a satisfied hum when it reacted normally. She shook her head.

"I told you, I'm fine." Yumi released a huff, her green eyes traveling to Akito and Chiharu. The former had caught her gaze and out of reflex, Yumi averted away.

"You should focus on my parents and that truck driver, they were in the crash zone." She mumbled. Her mind replaying her display of hidden powers and how surprised her parents were. They were preoccupied at first to take notice of what the hell had happened, how they -against all odds- came out unharmed. But once they calmed down and got out of the car, Yumi could tell that her father knew it was her doing.

The redhead's mind was clouded by her anxious thoughts, but she was soon dragged out when the male medic spoke. "Well, you're good to go. But I suggest you take a couple of days of rest."

With a slight tilt of her head to the side, she gave her reply. "I have school tomorrow."

"A few days wouldn't hurt." The man said with a friendly smile before heading out.

*

*

And as told, Yumi had taken a couple of days off from school. Which had been a good choice. Physically, she hadn't needed it, but mentally.. She was a mess.

After releasing a fraction of the power she'd suppressed for so long, Yumi had been nothing but restless. Even if she had used it to save the lives of her parents. It was just too much for her to handle.

Although the days she had missed from school weren't able to remedy her internal confliction, they successfully brought peace of mind to Akito and Chiharu since the ominous villain attack at 'USJ' had apparently taken place in her absence.

It had happened the day after Yumi's car accident. And after she came back to school, she was a bit taken aback at her classmates' never-ending gossip about the incident. Fortunately, no student was harmed, while two Pro Heroes/teachers had been injured.

Ochako had told her everything, a bit teary-eyed as she explained what happened. She couldn't articulate how scary the situation was for her and the rest of class 1-A, and then started gushing about All Might's amazing showdown.

Currently, Yumi was in the 1-C classroom, her head resting on her desk, crimson locks splayed behind her as she released a sigh.

_"Hey, did you watch the news yesterday?"__"Everyone from class 1-A was on-screen, those lucky bastards."__"All the channels made a big deal about it, I don't get why."_

Needless to say, Yumi's classmates had been nothing but bitter towards the heroes in training.

'_Why don't you go get a life already_?'

Her eyes refused to make contact with anyone's as she looked out her classroom's large windows. She'd been too preoccupied by her thoughts that she couldn't feel Shinso's unrelenting eyes boring into the back of her head.

"Guys, be quiet. Morning homeroom is about to start." Aoba instructed and everyone's chatter died down once Harada-sensei walked in.

The teacher slid the door behind her and greeted the class, and afterwards dropped an announcement that left the student in a state of excitement.

"The U.A sports festival is drawing near!" She said, watching with a smile as she saw her students jumping ecstatically, some high-fiving each other at the exciting news.

Yumi, however, lifted her head from the desk -lazily so- and rested it on her hands. Her heavily lidded eyes looking at her teacher in a quizzical nature.

'_Is it really okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside_?' She wondrously thought. That just didn't seem responsible to the redhead.

After gesturing for the class to be quiet, Harada continued to speak. "I know it's abrupt but the school's trying to show that our crisis management system is solid as a rock by holding the event."

'_So it's too keep up appearances_.' Yumi deadpaned.

"Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. Of course, all the top heroes around the country will be watching. For _scouting_ purposes.." She trailed off. "That being said, everyone attending is most likely going to be focused on the Heroics Department, but don't let that stop you from giving it your best!"

At her words, cheers erupted from the teenagers, save for Yumi and Shinso who grinned to himself.

*

Lunchtime came soon enough, and this time, the red haired telepath didn't feel like eating nor leaving the classroom.

As the room emptied with each classmate of hers leaving, Yumi realized that, like her, Shinso was unwavering from his seat. That wide, unsettling, grin never leaving his face throughout the periods.

"Hey, Shinso, are you okay? You've been grinning like a psychopath for a while." She abruptly asked, and that rude remark of hers earned her a glare from the boy.

"I dare you to say that again." Hitoshi warned, almost..playfully. And Yumi had fought the urge to smile.

"This is my chance." He declared after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?"

"The sports festival." The indigo haired teen began, his body slightly stiffening at the prospect of his dream coming true. "Depending on the performance and results, they'll consider my transfer."

Yumi's eyes slightly widened in realization, remembering the conversation the two of them had. "Oh, that's right. You originally applied for the hero course."

He nodded. "I'm gonna work hard because I need to stand out. That way they'll consider my transfer." Shinso's hand was reflexively forming a fist, his purple eyes burning in determination that Yumi hadn't seen in him before.

"Good luck with that." She muttered, not knowing why she felt envious all of a sudden. Yumi hadn't felt like herself ever since the incident, the occurrence stirring up emotions in her that she didn't fully comprehend.

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. A smile rose to her lips before she broke the silence that had instilled between them. "But I can't say that I won't miss you once you leave, though."

"Huh?" Shinso's eyes went wide at her words, he opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. As he watched her smiling facet he felt a blush overtaking his cheeks.

"Sh-shut up." He stuttered, his mouth forming a tight line.

The two then didn't say anything for a while, and Yumi didn't mind the silence. She usually liked it this way. However the quiet can be suffocating. Yumi's thoughts thrived on the silence; they _screamed_ in its presence.

She bit her lips as she remembered the car accident, the moment she'd let herself slip. After it, she'd realized how painful it was for her to suppress a part of herself, and how much relief it had brought her to finally let it be free. She saved the lives of her precious family with it, but she'd lost them in her previous life because of it.

'_Is it really okay for me to use it?'_

Seeing how distressed Yumi had become in the span of a couple of minutes, Shinso watched her in concern. "Hey," He started, grabbing her attention.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Yumi gulped harshly, shrugging him off. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He didn't need to be a mind reader to know she wasn't okay.

*

It would be safe to say that Akano Yumi was on edge.

Throughout the day, she would find herself drifting off, allowing her self-inflicted inquires to invade her head. It was distracting and it annoyed her to no extent.

'_I think I'm gonna lose it_.' She thought in frustration.

Even the clock's ticking as it almost reached 3 PM made her brows twitch.

As she made her way across the school's hallway, _trying_ to head home, Yumi was forced to stop in her tracks because of the horde of students occupying the corridor.

So naturally, she was irked by them.

Yumi recognized a portion of the crowd, some of whom were her classmates, and the rest were other first years.

"What are you guys standing here for? You know, you're blocking the way." She asked the first person she'd bumped into, a guy from her class whose name was currently lost on her.

The boy turned around, wanting to see who'd bumped into him. He actually shrieked when he saw who it was.

"Akano-sama!" He yelled out of reflex, his hand rushing to cover his mouth in embarrassment at the honorific he and some of the boys in their class had given her.

Ignoring the blushing boy with a huff, Yumi looked around the condensed area, finding that their gathering point was in fact the 1-A classroom.

"We just wanna check them out before the sports festival, Akano-san." Aoba, the class rep, chirped as she linked arms with Yumi. She threw her a questioning look. Despite her best efforts to keep her away, Aoba still managed to try and stick to her. And Yumi didn't have to be a mind reader to tell that she just wanted some of her popularity to rub off on her.

The redhead slipped her arm away from Aoba, trying to hold back (and failing) the urge to glare at her. "Isn't that a bit childish?" Yumi said and advanced further into the crowd. And unsurprisingly, a line seemed to disperse at her mere presence.

She took small footsteps in an attempt to walk away, hating to experience another state of suffocation -like the day of the media caused alarm. But again she was stopped in her tracks when she stood by an unmoving gray haired boy who started yelling out of nowhere.

He was so loud that Yumi had to cover her ears.

"Hey Hey! I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself! If you bark too much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!"

People around them cleared at the seething, jagged teethed teen words. And that action was giving him, and Yumi, a full view of class 1-A's threshold; where their occupants were stuck.

"Another bold person!" Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya and Uraraka Ochako all yelled out in unison at the 1-B student.

Yumi sighed.

All eyes snapped in the redhead's direction, including Ochakos's when she began to speak.

"It's easy to talk the talk, if you really want to make a declaration of war, just do it with your actions and _don't_ waste people's time." She blurted out to the grey haired boy. Her voice was as soft and monotonous as usual, but its volume was a few decibels higher and it caught the attention of every student present.

"This person's bold, too!"

'_Yu-chan_?!' Uraraka's eyes were slowly widening.

"-wait, isn't she a real hottie?!" A certain grape haired boy exclaimed, tugging on his friend's pants. Luckily, the rest of the 1-A students didn't mind his inappropriate words because they were committed to hearing the argument that ensued between her and the 1-B student.

"Huuuuuh?! Who do you think you are?!" He bellowed at Akano.

Yumi looked up at him -since he was a few centimeters taller than her- with bored eyes. "_I'm_ leaving, and you're disturbing the hallway flow, I suggest you head home." She bluntly replied, casually walking past him. "Then,"

Akano just then realized how much attention she'd drawed to herself. And her green eyes briefly met with Shinso's amongst the crowds, and he was just staring blankly at her. Then when she coolly averted her gaze from him she saw Ochako jumping in place, raising her arm up high in the air to wave at her with a huge smile.

Unable to not reciprocate the innocent gesture, Yumi slightly waved back before leaving.

"Did she just wave at me?" Mineta asked, a perverted blush spreading on his cheek.

"Of course not, you idiot." Kirishima Eijirou deadpaned. He sighed in relief noticed that after she'd left, the once bustling mob of students was no dwindling in numbers. Kirishima internally wondered if she'd been trying to help them out in dispersing them.

"Oh, no." Kaminari Denki mumbled as he watched the intrepid -and quite beautiful- redhead walk away. Sero looked his way to see a bead of sweat slipping down the blonde's temple. "What is it?"

"I think I'm in love."

"Kaminari?!"

**A/N:-**

**Hey guys! So now we're almost there to the sports festival! Most likely the next chapter! And we got some mild interaction with 1-A, but don't worry there's more of that coming up!**

**Btw, I read all of your reviews and they honestly made my whole day! Thank you so much! Please do tell me what all you think so far, I'd really appreciate it.**


	10. Nine

The scribbling of Yumi's pencil against her notebook was scratching at her ears. Her eyebrows stuck together in both concentration and aggravation as she did her homework in her well lit room.

She'd appreciated the workload her school had been dumping down on her before the upcoming Midterms, because it's been a good excuse way for her to busy herself with something..anything.

Yumi wasn't just using the schoolwork as a distraction, but as a means of avoiding long talks with her parents. The car accident that she'd stopped with her abilities had sprung about a ton of questions in Akito and Chiharu's minds. She knew that. And that's why she was actively locking herself in her room.

As she sat there in her study, Yumi's heavy lidded eyes left finally gave out and closed for a few moments. She's been nothing but conflicted about her suppressed psychokinesis.

Her pupils moved beneath her lids before she fluttered them open. Yumi, staring at the pencil case in the edge of her desk. She could easily extend her hand and reach out for it. That's how she lived all these years. But as Jean Grey, she used her abilities on a daily basis at Xavier's school. Whatever menial task she needed to perform, like reaching for things, brushing her hair, etc.. It was part of the Professor's teachings; if she could use it in moderation, she could slowly take control over it instead of being afraid of it. That was the whole point of his school for mutants. She thought it had worked for her, but she turned out to be wrong.

With great hesitation, Yumi projected her telekinetic energy to take hold of the pencil case. It was emitted from her and took shape into a force only she could sense and feel. Slowly, but surely, the stationery levitated in the air, and under her command, it made its way to her. The case fell into her stretched out palm with a low thump and Yumi's lips soon formed a tight line.

'_I feel sick_.'

Yumi had realized something after unleashing her power to save her parents. Only then she felt how hard it was for her to suppress it all this time. She knew that amongst the storm of emotions she felt that day, there was something other than relief and fear swarming within her. She felt...the sweet sensation of release.

Like with her telepathy, her telekinesis was part of her, no matter how much she tried to reject it. For almost a decade she tried to hold these secrets inside her, this hidden power. She'd done so for so long that her mind became diseased with her suppression. Congested. Distressed.

Still, that didn't make it okay for her to use it. Just the simple levitation of that piece of stationary made her feel guilty. Just like when she used it to shield herself and her parents. You'd think after such a feat, Yumi would accept the powers she was born with.

'_But it's that easy. None of it is_.'

The wooden chair she was sitting on screeched against the hardwood floor once she got up to stretch.

Yumi's hands raised above her head to relieve her aching muscles, an action she abruptly halted after a few seconds once her eyes fell on one of her childhood pictures. It was a framed photo, captured on her fourth birthday.

'_It's two years before I got my memories back_..'

She mindlessly picked it up, fingers tracing her own face in the picture. She looked so blissfully ignorant. So..

Happy.

Yumi's nose scrunched in distaste. She couldn't help but think that things would have been so much easier for her if she hadn't went to the park that faithful day. That day she unlocked her quirk and her memories along with it. Things would have turned so different.

'_**I** would have turned out different_.'

First off, she wouldn't have been so much mentally older than her peers, and certainly wouldn't have been so isolated. Her parents wouldn't have been so concerned about her all the time, either.

Yumi could have become a normal and cheerful young girl with lots of friends. And who knows, she just may have grown to be a Pro Hero like her father wished for her.

But instead, she got these painful memories back. She ended up with a numbness to the world. An indifference to everyone around her, except for her loving parents who she was sure were secretly dissatisfied with how she'd been living her life thus far.

With a sigh of frustration Yumi placed the photo back on the table, the angle she had placed it in made the glass reflect the light, and she could see her reflection clearly in the frame.

Yumi could only frown as she stared at herself.

'_Jean turned me into a hollow shell and devoured me from within_.'

A sad and somewhat bitter smile pulled into her lips. She thought she was done feeling bad for herself, she thought she was over deciding who she was.

'_I'm always Yumi. And I'm always Jean. I died. I scattered in a trillion directions. And then started to pull together again. But I'm starting to see now. Parts of me... Parts of me never came home_.'

Yumi sighed, letting go of her childhood picture.

'_We think that pain is the worst feeling. It isn't. How can anything be worse than this eternal silence inside of me_?'

She paused for a moment. Her eyes slowly widening as she came to realize something she'd been ignoring for the past couple of days. Right at the moment where she'd realized that she had protected the lives of her parents, Yumi felt an undeniable wave of emotions. Relief, satisfaction, and pride.

When she looked at herself now, she realized, she wasn't just Yumi. She wasn't even the high-and-mighty Jean Grey. She was just...her... and she was confused and scared, too. She could maybe...somehow...she could help her...spare her.

'_Spare myself_...'

No, that wasn't possible.

'_Burdened by such heavy chains which will weigh me down for my entire existence. For my entire life, I'll never be able to escape_.'

Or maybe she didn't have to be pulled down by her guilt.

Maybe she could rise above it, much like how a phoenix would rise from the ashes.

A soft knock on her bedroom door forcefully brought Yumi back. Her shoulders slightly jolting as she turned to see who was walking in.

"Mi-chan," Akito mumbled.

"Yes?"

Her father shuffled closer to Yumi who now seated on her bed. He had a rather timid smile on his face as he sat next to her.

'_What's wrong_?' She telepathically asked him, her voice echoing in his mind causing him to flinch at the sudden intrusion. Although he knew her telepathy was far more advanced than his, allowing her to not only read minds but also communicate through it, Akito was still surprised. It was an uncommon occurrence for Yumi to use the various applications of her Quirk. Maybe it was because she was so..restless.

"..The sports festival is coming up, isn't it?" He spoke after a good minute.

"Sure, I guess." She shrugged with disinterest.

"Are you participating?"

"I have to, it's mandatory for all classes."

"I see." Akito said, his nervous hand flying back to scratch the back of his head. "Most heroes I collab with on cases are really interested in some students in your year."

Yumi's brows slightly perked. Her father rarely spoke about his job as a psychiatrist, especially the criminology part of it.

She guessed that her father was referring to Ochako's class, since they've been drawing a lot of attention lately. "That's understandable, some of them just fought villains."

"You're right."

You could almost hear the crickets at the sudden silence that draped over them. The two knew how strained their conversation was. It was understandable, since they both knew the other knew about Yumi's hidden power.

"Mi-chan," He started, grabbing her attention by the seriousness in his voice. "I still think you should be joining the heroics course."

Yumi closed her eyes and huffed in frustration. "You're still on that? I told you a million times, I can't be-"

"-Why?" He interrupted. "Why can't you be one?"

Flinching at his serious and slightly perplexed tone of voice, Yumi bit her lip. "I'm.. I'm not strong enough."

Akito hummed in response, it was almost condescending in nature. "It's not like you to lie, Mi-chan."

"I'm not lying-!"

"Mi-chan," He interjected once more. "We never talked about the car accident because everyone turned out okay." He said, watching her slightly cowering at his words. "But that doesn't mean I don't know what really happened."

"Dad.." Yumi muttered, feeling her throats tightening at both his words and the affectionate smile he was giving her.

"Yumi, I _know_."

Even though she already knew he did, her eyes still widened in slight surprise.

"I know that you have a really amazing power. I know that you're the most kind and heroic at heart." She gulped harshly as he continued to speak. "I've always known."

"Do you really mean that?" She asked with a trembling voice that she couldn't help.

"Of course!" Akito replied, his demeanor swiftly switching back to his lighthearted one. "What you did, it was the most heroic thing I've ever seen! And I work with Pro Heroes almost on a daily basis." He chuckled.

The young redhead's eyes glistened. The melancholy accumulating within her in the past few days was slowly leaving her just from his genuine feelings and words.

He truly believed that.

"That's why I think you should be one."

After releasing a sharp breath, Yumi regained her composure. "You say that, but.. Isn't it too late for that? Transferring isn't that easy." She said, surprising even herself at her willingness to try. Her mind slightly drifted as she remembered Shinso, how determined and dedicated he was to changing courses.

"What are you talking about?! You'll definitely find a way!" Akito beamed, jumping to his feet in excitement. Yumi stifled a laugh at how easily pumped her father could get.

"I've watched you since you were a baby and I found that there's no hurdle that you can't overcome!" He encouraged but his wide grin faltered a bit at the end. Akito had given up on his dream of becoming a hero far too quickly when he was younger, since his quirk wasn't that flashy or strong enough in battle. He hadn't even tried out for the Heroics Department, thinking that he was being realistic by directly applying the General Ed. He was more happy with how his life had turned out. But he didn't want his daughter to do the same. Because he knew she was nothing like him. She was a genius in everything she did. And he was immensely proud of her.

"I honestly don't know where you get it from." He mumbled, plopping back down next to her, his shoulders slouching.

With a tilt of her head, Yumi wasted no time to answer. "What are you talking about? I get it from both of you." She said, smiling. And Akito reciprocated the expression in an even brighter fashion.

'_Maybe..maybe he's right_..'

Yumi had left all her life with a cloud overhead after everything she'd done in her previous life. And she couldn't defend herself. She couldn't defend the mistakes she'd made even though her intention was to do good. Her past life was riddled with the wrongdoings of her mutation.

But now.. She used her cursed powers to save her parents. She protected them. She didn't allow for herself to lose them.

Yumi had taken Jean's unflinching anger and agony and turned it into something she never thought she could, she'd taken her power and helped. She's done good. Maybe.. Maybe she could be good.

_Could she?_

A swell of satisfaction erupted within her chest at the thought, fluttering in her stomach. It might be self centered and a self serving prospect, but she didn't care.

She was willing to give it a chance.

*

*

_The sports festival was in two weeks._

_And it was to be broadcasted live on Television._

_There was no doubt that those who did well would have a much better chance of becoming pro heroes._

_And those who applied for a transfer to the Heroics course would surely be considered for one based on their performance._

_Yumi was sure to use it as a chance._

*

*

Time passed for Yumi in the blink of an eye, and the morning of the sports festival arrived.

She was, like the rest of her classmates, in the 1-C waiting room in the first year stage.

"_Yumi-chan, be careful not to get hurt_."

"_We'll watch and record it, all right?! In high resolution_!"

"_Do your best, Yumi/Mi-chan_!"

Yumi bit the inside of her cheek when she remembered how excited and invested her parents were this morning as she headed off to school. How their eyes sparkled at the prospect of their daughter perusing her dream.

For the first time in her this lifetime Yumi felt jitters running up her spine. But there was a coldness and uneasiness that settled in the peripheries of her limbs. In all truth, she didn't even know how she felt exactly about her upcoming endeavors. The fact that she couldn't get a wink of sleep the night before was proof that her body was a reflection of her current state of mind.

"I can't wait to show these posers in 1-A how it's done!"

One of her male classmates, Sakamoto was his name, exclaimed while pumping his fist into the air. His group of friends chuckled in amusement.

"But don't they have weeks of training on us? I don't think it'll be all that fair."

"Well, at least they're not wearing their costumes, so that'll even out the playing field a bit."

Quietly sitting there amongst her peers, the P.E uniform-clad Yumi ruminated on her thoughts. Her eyes were drawn tightly together in concentration as she let out a sigh. The words of encouragement she'd received from her father, combined with her own hopeful thinking had motivated her to persue this dream of self redemption. Of becoming a true hero who can save lives. But that dream was still far away from her, distant by obstacles and clouded by her own fear of her quirk.

"I wonder what the first round's gonna be.." Shinso mumbled from beside her, grabbing her attention. Much to her surprise, the purple haired teen had opted to sit right next to her in the benches of the waiting room, ignoring the other empty seats around them.

'_We did get a lot closer over the past couple of weeks.. Although we still don't talk that much_.' Yumi's mouth was half parted in amusement, figuring that it was understandable they didn't speak that often since they were both people of few words in school.

Then, Hitoshi let out a prolonged, loud yawn, not even bothering to cover his widely open mouth.

"Seriously though, do you ever get enough sleep?" She asked with a frown. The poor boy definitely pulled all-nighters _every_ night. His baggy eyes told her this much. She internally wondered what the hell he's been doing that kept him up.

Shinso glanced at her, shrugging. "Sleep is for the weak."

"What's with that answer?" Yumi smiled half-heartedly, running a brisk hand over her hair. And his indigo eyes were unwavering on her stiff form. There was something still off about her lately that he just couldn't seem to place.

"Everyone, are you ready? We will be entering soon!" Aoba announced after dramatically walking into the room.

Nervous chatter erupted amongst the General Ed students, some whom sweating bullets from the sheer anxiety while some just shook from excitement.

Yumi's eyes slightly flew open at the announcement, but she was quick to return to normal. She then got up to feet, and Shinso shadowed her form as they made their way to the opening ceremony.

**A/N:-****First off,sorry for putting up an author's note at the end of each chapter, it t must be rather annoying****How was it so far? I hope it isn't too boring for you guys! I just wanted to focus on Yumi's origin and development instead of delving it into the main storyline and the love interests!****Do tell me what you think so far, and who you're excited for Jean to meet and be with?**


	11. Ten

**Hello! How are you guys doing?**

**A/N:-**

**I think I've mentioned this before, but this story takes place after the X-men: Dark Phoenix movie, which was set in the 1990s and Jean was still a teenager at the time. Meaning that Jean died before she met Logan, as she did so when she was older in the X-men timeline. So to be clear, Jean had only been in a relationship and only ib love with Scott Summers before she sacrificed herself and died in a burst of energy.**

**Also, regarding the romantic side of this story, I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear. I meant that there will multiple people romantically interested in Jean, but there will be one guy in the end that she'll end up with. Who the guy is..well it's for me to know and you guys to find out XD**

**As for now, please enjoy!**

**~**

Walking through the dark corridor behind the hero course students of class 1-B, Yumi and Shinso could hear the loud voice of the Pro Hero/faculty member, Present Mic, announcing the other class' entrance.

"_They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent! Hero course, Class 1-B_!" He enthused.

Approaching the light at the end of the tunnel, Yumi's eyes squinted out of reflex under the harsh rays of sun.

"_Next up, general studies Classes C, D, and E_!"

She briefly looked behind her as she continued to advance forwards, seeing the dejected looks on her classmates' face at their own hurried introduction. Her eyes then quickly darted to her surroundings once her green eyes adjusted to the bright light.

'_As expected, there are a lot of people watching_..' Yumi looked around the stadium that was filled with people and heroes from all around the country. With the passion of their last chance and the tactics from their experience, the third years should have been the main event just like the past years. But this year, due to the famous USJ attack, the first-year stage was the one to watch.

This was a chance Yumi couldn't afford to miss if she hoped for a transfer.

"_Support course, Classes F, G, and H are here, too! And business course, Classes I, J, and K! All of U.A's first years are here now_!"

"We're just here to make those guys look better, huh?" Their deputy class rep commented with a bitterness Akano couldn't miss. Yumi and Hitoshi only spared him a sideways glance before they halted once they reached the Chief Umpire's stage.

All classes stood side by side, with class 1-A right beside them.

The red haired telepath hadn't realized how many first years there were in this school until now.

'_There are so many.. There's no way all of us are making it past the first round_.' She pondered, and once she was done looking around her, she locked her gaze on her dominant hand.

'_I decided to try and better myself.. To follow a path of self redemption by trying to help others. And somehow, myself along the way_..'

Yumi's silent pondering was drowning out the cheers and lustful admiration the male crowds held for the R-rated heroine, Midnight.

'_But even still, I can't go using my telekinesis recklessly. It's still not that easy for me_..'

"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight demanded, swinging her whip. And everyone obediently complained silenced and paid their undivided attention to her -save for the distracted Yumi.

"Representing the students is Bakugo Katsuki from Class 1-A!"

"What? It's Kacchan?!" Midoriya gasped in surprised as he saw Bakugo casually strolling up the stairs to the stage.

Sero Hanta, who was as equally surprised as the rest of his classmates, gave a nod of confirmation. "That guy _did_ finish first in the entrance exam."

The two 1-A students had proven to be loud enough for the neighboring class to overhear their conversation. And so Aoba released an audibly aggravated sigh, turning to glare at both Midoriya and Sero. "In the _hero_ course." She corrected.

"R-Right." Sero timidly stuttered, feeling the hostility the blonde girl projected towards him and his class.

Meanwhile, Yumi was unaware of the conversation that took place by her side, still drowning in her own inner conflicts.

Aoba's lips pulled into a smirk that quickly turned into a proud smile as she placed both of her hands on Yumi's shoulder. The action had succeeded in surprising the redhead, snapping her back to reality. "All in all, our Akano-san placed first in the written entrance exam, ne?" She chirped, purposely raising her voice to tease the neighboring classes. Her nose almost grew in length in pride, acting as if it was her own achievement.

Yumi's brows furrowed in confusion after she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Eh? Did you say something?" She asked the blonde.

"Isn't that the girl who helped clear out the hallway?" Sero whispered to Midoriya on the down low in fear of being heard and scrutinized again. The tape dispenser of a boy had a silent blush on his cheek as he stared at the beautiful redhead from the corner of his eyes. He had to agree, Kaminari had every right to gush over her after the hallway incident.

"Y-yeah." The greenette replied, and then turned to the stage in worry of what Bakugo might say in the pledge.

Over in the 1-C line of students, Shinso couldn't get over the distracted state Akano was in. Her eyes were practically filled with a turbulent storm of raw emotions and her shaking hands gripped the hem of her shirt in hand.

"What's with you? You've been out of it lately." He asked without thinking, and he watched as the slightly shorter girl pursed her lips before dismissively shaking her head at him. "Just..trying to focus." She muttered, redirecting her gaze on the ash blonde boy standing in front of the microphone. He somehow looked familiar to her.

"I pledge-" He started, and everyone awaited for him in anticipation.

"That I'll be number one." Bakugo bluntly declared.

Yumi quietly snorted after hearing his words that were soon followed by the angry howls of the other students. '_Okay, now I see why everyone thinks that they're cocky_.'

"What the heck!"

"Stop messing around!"

"Don't be so full of yourselves, Class A!"

'_But then again, this might mean he's just confident in his skills. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's arrogant_.' She wondered, trying to give the teen the benefit of the doubt.

"At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." He finished, dedicating them a taunting thumbs-down before he nonchalantly descended down the stairs.

'_Never mind_.' Yumi internally shook her head with a bemused look.

"Now, let's get started right away.

\--The first game is what you'd call a qualifier!" Midnight stated. "Every year, many drink their tears here! Now, here is the fateful first game! This year, it's this!" She raised her cuffed arm up to the screen behind her to reveal what the first round would be.

"An obstacle course race.." Shinso read the words aloud, and Yumi briefly glanced between him and the screen that displayed an administration of the round.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race. The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium--about four kilometers! Our school's selling point is _freedom_!" Midnight paused her explanation, turning to the students with a smirk playing on her lips. "As long as you stay on the course, it doesn't matter _what_ you do!" She finished, and her words prompted the wild grin on Shinso's face.

'_Isn't that convenient.. Does that mean it's okay if I read your mind, Midnight_?' Yumi thought, figuring that it was in fact okay. Since the use of quirks in public was forbidden, Yumi always tried to drown out other people's thoughts out of her head, as well. A task that proved to be quite difficult because most minds had a way of opening themselves up to her and forcefully dragging her into them. But since the referee herself had declared that everything was allowed, then that meant that Yumi could finally go all out.

"Now, take your places everyone!" The first year's umpire instructed, and all the students complied. While Yumi stuck to place, raising a hand to her temple to actively listen to the teacher's thoughts.

'_Let's see which forty-two of you be qualifying for the next round_.'

The redhead bit her lip at the revelation. "forty-two, huh?" She muttered, before going on to take her place amongst the rest of her class.

Translucent green eyes scanned the people around her all while keeping mind to the flickering lights overhead that will signaling the start of their race. '_It's an obstacle course race.__So naturally a lot of running will be involved, which I'm good with. Fourty-two of us will be qualifying for the next round, and I can guarantee that almost all of the Heroics Department is making it through. Thinking about objectively though, not all quirks are suitable for this sort of thing, depending on their application_.'

She felt anticipation washing through her veins, a sense of excitement that's been so long gone from her that it almost felt foreign at the moment. She wanted to prove her worth, to make her parents proud, to be a _hero_. But all her desires were clashing with her fears and insecurities, and she knew from experience that her powers did not work well when she was emotionally unstable.

'I_t doesn't matter if I barely make it past the first round_..'

Standing on shaky legs, Yumi clenched her fists, seeing that they were about to begin.

'_I won't use it unless I absolutely have to_.'

"START!"

With Midnight's loud signaling for them to begin, the students, including Yumi, lost no time in taking off running. But the problem was that the corridor, their exit gate was too narrow and the plethora of students ended up stuck to each other.

Yumi breathed in sharply, trying her best to maneuver her way through the narrow spaces in between them, but it proved to be too cramped for her to make any progress. All the while, she tried her best to keep her mind and all of her senses open. Since the Umpire herself said that anything was allowed, Yumi wouldn't be surprised if someone pulled a trick to make their way through.

It proved to be difficult to her at first, listening to various thoughts all at once, their anxiety and tense nerves were all hitting Yumi's mind at once in a harsh manner. But it came into use when she heard someone, a guy, calmly thinking to himself.

'_The first sifting.. I'll freeze them all in place_.'

That single thought, combined with the chilly breath of air that swept through, prompted Yumi to act. Her eyes widened as she jumped in no time to avoid being caught by the freezing ice that had spread under her feet and trapped those behind her.

'_That was close_' She kept on hopping to avoid the icy ground, but it eventually turned into a trail that followed behind a dual-hair colored boy, whom she presumed was the one she'd read thoughts of. Yumi had to admit, it was a smart move on his part, and she was almost grateful that he did it because she was now able to leave the dark tunnel with partial ease because a lot of people were stuck in place. But the ground proved to be too slippery for the redhead and she huffed in annoyance because it was slowing down her steps.

She could see that the majority of those who weren't stuck by the ice were struggling just like herself, while a numbered few were able to catch up with the perpetrator due to the mobility their quirks granted them.

'_What the **hell** are those_?'

Yumi, like so many others, paused in her step at the sight of the large, green colored, metallic robots that suddenly appeared.

"_Obstacles have shown up suddenly_!!" Present Mic announced, his voice booming throughout the various speakers that have been placed all over the stage and around the obstacle course. "_Starting with the first barrier! Robo Inferno_!"

Everyone stood there in awe of the gigantic bots, some of whom gaping in fear, and others in admiration. Yumi was of the latter faction.

"Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?!" Some blonde to her left had yelled and she in turn felt intrigued by the revelation.

'_The hero course had to fight those? Impressive_..' Yumi had to fight the urge to smile in nostalgia. Her mind wanting to wander off to the rigorous training she went through as part of the X-men -lead by her late mentor, Mystique.

"This is what they meant by obstacles?!"

"There are too many! I can't get through!"

The people panicked but the redhead only shook her head in disapproval after she saw the robots pedaling their way. They were so slow..

'_Though they're nothing like the Sentinels **we** had to train with_.' She compared as she looked at them.

Confirming her suspicion, the bicolored haired boy, whom she chose to nickname 'Iceman' for the time being, had successfully frozen a number of those bots by a simple swing of his hand.

And the crowds rejoiced.

"_Todoroki from Class 1-A! He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant! Amazing_!"

"He stopped them!"

"Between their legs! We can get through!" A rather reckless person suggested but Yumi was quick to rebuff their delusions with calculating eyes. "Stop! They're falling over!" She warned, stepping back. And luckily everyone around her noticed the creaking of the unsteady robots.

Yumi took in a sharp breath, all her senses focused on the approaching androids. She could hear people suggesting that they work together to create a path, whilst some just used their quirks to jump through.

The pressuring sight of people advancing forwards made her clench her fist from the sheer nerves. '_Should I... Should I use it_?'

Pushing those insecure thoughts back into her head, Yumi leaned forwards, recalling what she'd been through become a full fledged part of the X-men. '_No.. I don't have to_.'

_Jean's form was kneeling from the rigorous and fruitless training. Her pants echoed throughout the Danger Room -the X-men's training facility.__Raven, otherwise known as Mystique, simply watched her with bored eyes, her struggling with practice only irking her. Those two were currently the only ones present within the chamber. Because Jean found a difficulty in completing her training, -unlike the other members of the group- so Raven decided to give her some extra lessons.__"I-I can't handle these things." She stuttered in between frustrated huffs of air. The tall redhead was fine with training with the usual traps, projectile firing devices, flamethrowers, and even mechanical dangers such as presses and collapsing walls. But this.. These robots Hank had built, they were simply unstoppable. Unmatched in their speed and efficiency. They were named Sentinels; prototypes of a government project that had been scrapped from the system. Some say they were designed specifically to battle and outmatch mutants. Luckily, the world came to see that they weren't a threat, and that some of them were even trying to contribute into making the world a better place. Like the secretive group that is the **X-Men**.__Mystique simply clicked her tongue in an almost taunting fashion, placing her hands on her hips. She didn't like the weak state of mind Jean was in. Not one bit.__"What is it that Charles keeps saying to you? That 'You can do whatever you set your mind to' and 'you're the strongest amongst us'?"__It was no secret that Jean Grey grew to be "Miss Popular" of the X-Men. She was intelligent, strong-willed, pretty, modestly confident, well-liked, and a naturally gifted athlete. Professor X was especially fond of her, since he'd known and raised her since she was a child, and also because they held somewhat similar mutations. He helped her control her powers and (arguably) believed in her more than he did in anyone else. Jean appreciated it, and tried to act on proving herself to live up to his expectations. But there were just times where she felt like she just wasn't adequate enough.__Jean simply clenched her teeth, jaw muscles straining at the action. "I don't know if that's true."__The telepath wished she could have been as smooth in combat as the rest of them. Scott had his aggressive plasma rays. Storm possessed shocking electricity and limited weather control. Nightcrawler could literally teleport and be everywhere. And she didn't even want to get started on Quicksilver, his name said everything. And while she didn't excel in combat like they did, she was excellent in rescue missions; she could assess the situation fast enough, use her telepathy to communicate with the Professor and any of those in need, and even move large objects with the power of her mind.__'**My problem is that I can't act fast enough**.' She dejectedly concluded to herself, finding the error in her combat skills.__Sighing, Raven shook her head. She didn't like how she was knocking herself down. "It is. The problem is that you've been fighting with one arm tied behind your back."__"What do you mean?"__"It doesn't matter." Mystique quickly waved a dismissive hand. "But to fight these bots, you don't have to just be strong. You have to be quick, and you have to be smart." After her words, Jean became even more hesitant and and the Shapeshifter sighed once more.__"What's our school's motto?"__"Mutatis mutandis." Jean quickly replied, the Latin words easily rolling off her tongue.__Raven smirked in a proud manner. "And what does it mean?"__"Having to change what needs to be changed." Jean said, prompting the older girl's nod. She stood up straight, her gaze shifting between the large robots and the__"Exactly. So all you need is to change your fighting style."__Jean internally rolled her eyes. '**That's easier said than done**..'__Mystique began walking and talking, her steps slow as she circled around the nervous Jean. She knew that Jean had difficulties with the robots because they weren't human. Jean was used to fighting people, and people were easy to understand because she could literally go inside their heads.__"You may not be able to read the Sentinel's minds, but **I** can. Unlike humans, they're predictable." Raven stated and Jean's brows jolted in perplexity.__"These sentinels were built to best us, but now we're gonna beat them. You got that?"__With a determined nod, Jean smiled widely. She could always feel motivated with the blue colored Shapeshifter by her side. "Yes."__"Good." Reciprocating the expression, Raven signaled for Hank to activate the Sentinels.__"Those robots will lock on their targets and act in a haze to destroy them." Jean's feets locked into a fighting stance as she carefully listened to the martial arts expert that is Raven. But her eyes were never leaving the bots as she tried to find openings for attack.__"Use **that** to your advantage."_

Yumi closed her eyes for a moment, before she quickly started running forwards. '_They don't have the concept of self preservation, so it wouldn't matter to them if they hurt themselves or the other bots._.' She deduced, getting dangerously close to one of the machines.

As it was designed to do, the robot locked on to her as a target and followed her. Yumi smirked in satisfaction as she increased her speed and made her way towards the adjacent robot. She dashed towards it, she abruptly put her foot down, almost feeling the friction against the sole of her foot as she stopped in front of another droid.

'_Wait_..' She paced herself, her green eyes scanning her surroundings, calculating the velocity at which both robots were going to get to her.

A droplet of sweat traveled down her temple and Yumi could see one of the robots extending their metal arm to attack her, the other doing the same. '_Wait_...'

'_Now_!' She internally screamed with clenched teeth, shooting sideways in less than a fraction of a second, finding herself rolling off onto the ground as -according to her plan- the two machines destroyed each other with a loud bang. Her eyes lit up there for a moment before she got off the ground, dusting herself off as she dashed ahead.

Unlike the majority of the first years -save for the class A students- Yumi wasted no time in moving; partly because she'd spent an eternity of her past life training and combating droids. She'd understood them and their movements. And not only that, but when she was their age, Jean Grey had stood against evil with nothing but her own mind, endured so much pain with her teeth still bared. She'd killed powerful evil mutants and monstrous creatures with a thought and swing of her hand, and done it without blinking. These bots were harmless chunks of metal in comparison.

Yumi ran and ran, trying to regulate her breathing at the same time when she realized that she'd bypassed the majority of the robots. She was almost satisfied with herself, seeing that not an awful lot of people had made it this far, probably twenty of them or so. That was until she felt the herd of students shadowing her.

"The path is clear!" Someone yelled, and Yumi couldn't resist the urge to look back and see who was responsible.

The redhead whistled at the impressive sight, a girl stood there victorious aiming a canon at the crashing Infernos.

'_I might as well should've waited for her to take care of them_' She joked with herself, shaking her head in the process.

"_The first barrier's a piece of cake? Then what about the second? If you fall, you're out! If you don't wanna fall, then crawl! It's '**The Fall**_'!" Present Mic announced and Yumi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

It all made sense when a large canyon with thick ropes connecting the pillar stones came into view.

Yumi gulped at the challenge up ahead and she slowed down as she approached the pit. She fell deep into thought, half-heartedly watching the hero course students use their quirks to easily make it past the second challenge.

'_If I wanted to, I could easily lift myself with telekinesis and fly overhead, but.. Why am I still feeling so uneasy? Is it because I haven't used it in such a long time_?'

Her slow steps eventually came to a halt as she saw a familiar head of chaotic purple tufts.

"Nice..." Shinso mumbled to himself after witnessing the crafty demonstration of an invention made by a student from Support Department. The pink haired girl almost cleared the canyon in an instant with a flashy pose. Hitoshi's lips stretched into a rather unsettling smile as he looked around him, trying to find someone useful he could use his brainwashing on so he would be able to easily pass.

As the indigo haired boy turned his left, he almost jumped in place once he saw who stood by his side. He was startled and his expression conveyed it, his large grin falling off his lips.

"What did I tell you about that creepy smile of yours?" Akano asked, friendly mockery fluttering in her tone of voice. And the Brainwash-Quirk user resisted the urge to frown at her playful banter.

Shinso pressed his brows together as he watched her raise her left arm up and pushed it up straight against her chest, and used the other arm to stretch it even further. It looked like she stopped to give her feet some rest.

"You got here earlier than I thought."

Yumi looked up at him through her thick lashes, and she hummed. The wind still dancing along with her hair. "Same to you, I expected you to get tired after running a couple of miles." She commented, referring to his lack of athletic abilities.

Shinso looked away from her, and he smirked as he remembered his easy path down here. He was literally carried by a number of students from other classes, conveniently making it through without breaking a sweat. "I have.._other_ means of transportation."

The two's ears perked once they heard Present Mic announcing that a couple of people were already making it to the last obstacle. Shinso felt himself tensing at the news, while Akano just sighed. That reaction of hers, along with the pensive look on her face drew his purple eyes back on her.

'_I'm not letting that faze me, that's just a temporary top_.'

Most people were on edge because they haven't announced how many people will be making it through. But Yumi knew exactly how much, since she sneaked a peak into Midnight's head. She just needed to be in the top forty-two to qualify, and by the looks of it, she had nothing to worry about.

"Ah, I got it." The redhead exclaimed in realization, fist pumping against her stretched palm.

"What is it?" Hitoshi queried with peaked interest. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the beautiful smiling facet of Akano Yumi. Her translucent green eyes looked directly into his own, making his stomach churn in a pleasant way.

'_Crap.. Why does it always surprise me when she smiles like that_?'

A light poke to his cheek brought him back. He felt warmth. Her warmth, as her fingers grazed his skin. "It probably looks weird because of how straight your teeth are." She said, referring to his weird smile, which seemed to still be her current topic of interest.

"You're still on that?" Regaining the remains of his scattered composure, Shinso asked with a deadpan.

"Well, there's no need to sweat it, the top forty-two will make it to the next round." She revealed, and she didn't have to look at him to see the curious look on the boy's face.

"How do you know?"

Yumi didn't reply to his inquiry and she sprinted ahead, leaving Shinso in place. "Then I'll go ahead."

"W-wait!" He urged, following suit.

Yumi crouched downwards, latching onto the thick rope with a firm grip. She ignored the airy breeze from down below as she quickly, but steadily, crawled towards the end of the canyon.

'_I have to prove myself, but right now, no matter what I'll do, all their eyes are on class A. The first two games are always ever-changing, but the last game is one-on-one matches_.'

Drenched in sweat and full of determination, the red haired girl made sure to keep herself balanced, all the while observing her surroundings.

'_That'll be my chance_.'


	12. Eleven

Yumi harshly gripped her knees and wiped the sweat trickling down her forehead, trying to catch her breath. '_I think.. I made it._' She guessed, her green eyes searching the field.

The redhead had successfully cleared all three obstacles of the race, only relying on her natural athletic ability and the occasional telepathy. But as she mentally went through it, Yumi had found that she didn't actually use her quirk for the majority of the race -a feat that she was partially proud of.

She then gave a quick calculative scan of the people who had made it before she did, heeding no mind to the horde of people who rushed in after her. She tried to guess what place she had gotten in the race, to ensure her success in making it through.

As she did, her eyes fell to the boy, who had come in first place. She recognized him from the big screen that had his victorious arrival on replay. The boy, Midoriya, was actually sobbing from joy.

He had cleared the minefield in an instant, using the somewhat harmless explosives to his advantage to blast himself in the air. Yumi was almost envious that she didn't come up with that idea since the whole of the minefield obstacle was a nuisance. But much to her pleasure, a trail of ice had been created by 'Iceman' towards the end of the field, providing her and the rest a path to use.

"Now, take a look at the results!" Midnight cackled, gesturing for the students to approach.

Yumi was snapped back to reality when the screen started displaying the results of the first game.

Everyone gathered to watch the screen slowly display the names and ranking of those who had made it through. The telepath patiently awaited for her name to show up, whilst the rest were shaking from the anxiety. She recognized a few people up there on the board, one of whom was Ochako, who had made it in 16th place. The photo of the rosy cheeked girl along with her rank had brought an unconscious smile to Akano's face. And unsurprisingly, Shinso got 27th place, since she saw him idly making it ahead of her in the race due to the aid of someone else's quirk -something he was able to accomplish due to his Brainwashing.

'_30th, huh? Not bad, I guess_..' Yumi thought to herself. What she didn't understand though, was the fact that a lot of the B class students occupied the lower ranks. Of course, not all Quirks were suitable for the race, but it still didn't make sense that basically all of them were accumulated below everyone else. The notion making her rub her chin in thought.

Shinso then approached her, his tired eyes looking her way. "I'm surprised you made it this far. I thought you had no interest in '_playing hero_'." He muttered as he stood by her side, purple irises darting back to the huge screen ahead.

She bowed her head at him, acknowledging his presence before her rosy lips loosely pressed together. She knew he wasn't trying to use her own words against her, but that he was genuinely curious as to why she suddenly became so invested in the event.

"..I changed my mind."

Hitoshi looked slightly taken aback, but before he could say anything in reply, he was interrupted by the voice blaring through the speakers.

"The top 42 made it through to the next round!" Midnight declared, much to the disappointment of the ones who didn't make it through.

"You were right." Shinso quietly said to Akano, and the latter only shrugged in response. "Of course I was."

"It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine." The Umpire licked her lips in mischief, playfully watching the participants tensing up. "The real competition begins next! The_ press cavalry'll_ be all over it! Give it your all! Now then, here is the second game." The screen began shuffling through, and the students were shaking from both excitement and worry. However, there was a specific red haired girl that didn't need to look at the screen to know what the next event was going to be. Because she already knew thanks to her mind-reading.

"A cavalry battle." Yumi mumbled, and the indigo haired boy widened his eyes when he heard her. "How'd you-" He started, watching her oddly before realizing the answer. "never mind."

"I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be?" Nemuri continued to tease the poor nervous souls, still refusing to reveal the event until she finally let up. "I just said it, and now here it is-!"

"A cavalry battle?!" Almost everyone yelled at the same time, with the exception of Shinso and Yumi.

"Let me explain." Midnight gleefully smiled. "The participants can form teams of two to four people as they wish." She said when the most adorable of illustrations of All Might and the other teachers huddled up in a team appeared behind her on the screen. "It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but the one thing that's different is based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value."

"A point-based system like the entrance exam, huh? That's easy to understand." Sato Rikido said.

Uraraka scratched at the back of her head, trying to comprehend the challenge. "In other words, each team is worth different points depending on who's on the team!" At her words, her pink skinned classmates lit up. "I see!"

"You guys don't hold back even though I'm talking, huh?!" Midnight scolded the chattering students, and they immediately shut their mouths. Yumi could hear some satisfied snickering from over at the class B row.

"Yes, that's right! And the points assigned go up by five starting from the bottom. So 42nd place gets five points, and 41st gets ten points!"

'_So I have about sixty-five points_..'

The referee licked her lips yet again, her eyes and whip quickly pointing at Midoriya. "And the point value assigned to first place is? Ten million!"

"T-Ten million?!" Izuku's eyes widened like a doe caught in the headlights, and Yumi rather understood the alarmed recognition in his expression.

"Ten million, huh?" Shinso mumbled his breath, catching the telepath's attention.

'_In other words, if you take down the first place player's team you can stand at the top no matter what place you're in_!'

Yumi flinched when those words echoed with intensity once they were received in her mind. Almost everyone present had the _same exact_ thought as their determined stares locked on the shaking Midoriya. The redhead didn't care to admit, but it was actually a bit scary.

"That's right." Midnight said, and you could practically hear the smirk she had. "It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"

*

Bluish green eyes scanned the field that was swarming with the heated discussion of students.

The rules were simple. The time limit was fifteen minutes. Each team was worth the total of its members' points, and the riders would wear a headband with that number on their foreheads. In order to accumulate points, teams were bound to grab each other's headbands until time runs out, and try to keep as many points as they could. Midnight had given them time to form teams, and the participants had wasted no time to find people who they were compatible with. It was an easy feat for the hero course students, because they had all advanced passed the first round. So, naturally, they huddled with their classmates and friends.

All Yumi could do was look around, trying to find a team that was short on members.

"Oi," Not a few moments later, Shinso came up to her, making his presence clear while he stood there with one hand was casually tugged inside his pocket.

"Oh, Shinso." She acknowledged him with a curt nod.

"Akano." He began. "You're still without a team, right?" He looked around her, pretending that he didn't know that she was still on her own.

"Mm." Was all she said in answer.

"Come join mine." He said, half turned before he started walking away, he assumed that she would follow. And she did.

"_Okay_.. But why?"

The indigo haired flinched, but the motion was not exaggerated enough for Yumi to notice. "Don't get full of yourself. I just wanted to use your mind-reading to my advantage."

With a half smile, she nodded. "Good to know."

"Who do we have so far?" She asked, blindly following him to what she assumed was his team's gathering point.

"..A couple of guys from 1-A."

"Really?" Yumi didn't miss the slightest of hesitation in his voice. "I thought the hero course students would prefer to stick together.."

A look of shock overcame the redhead's face when she caught sight of two blonde males standing stiffly up ahead. Her eyes were drawn tightly together in concentration as she stared at them.

"Yeah, well.."

The two teenage boys had blank looks on their faces, their eyes were empty. Foggy.

And so were their minds.

Aoyama Yuuga and Ojiro Mashirao of class A had made a grave mistake by answering Shinso, and thus falling victim to his Brainwashing.

Finally, Shinso halted, and from the distraction, Akano accidentally ran into his back with a grunt. "I did a little persuasion on my part." He smirked.

"Wait.. You used your quirk on them?"

Hitoshi didn't know why he felt bad under her questioning gaze, but nonetheless, he shrugged without displaying any emotion. "Yup."

Akano's eyes darted back to the two boys who had fallen victim to Shinso's Quirk. It was a relatively harmless move the purple haired male had pulled, but there was something about their blank expressions that didn't sit well with her.

"That kind of feels wrong on so many levels."

Shinso's eyes narrowed, his excruciating gaze unwavering on her. "Why? I'm just evening out the playing field. Besides, Midnight-sensei said everything was fair game ever since we started." His voice was monotonous at first, but near the end she could hear the slightest of tremble in his tone.

He was right, there was no denying it.

She'd be a hypocrite if she scolded him for using his Quirk while she'd literally just used hers on the Umpire.

'_This is all I could do to win_.' His grip was tightening on his clenched fists, eyes looking down at the ground.

Yumi's eyes widened after hearing that desperate thought of his. "I get that, but.." She knew that she didn't have the moral high ground here, because after all, she'd done unspeakable things in her past life. She had no right to judge his actions.

But it was from her personal experience that she wasn't okay with people being controlled. She knew what it was like more than anyone; not being able to break free of a higher power taking over. Not being able to act at your own will, no matter how much you tried. The cosmic force that had possessed Jean Grey and stripped her of her control and free will -it was the reason for that. So naturally, this situation..

It struck a nerve with her.

And when she saw the sudden twitching of Ojiro's hand as he dumbly stared off into the distance had done it for Yumi.

Shinso's eyes didn't leave the ground, he acted as if he didn't care for what she was saying, but he intently listened, waiting for her to continue.

The telepath shakily sighed in thought, she was in apparent confliction on the current situation. "Still.. I can't be part of this. It feels too wrong."

At her response, he was crushed and he didn't even know why. Shinso grinded on his teeth, the straining of his jaw muscles prominent. "Oh, really? Do as you like, then."

Those indigo colored irises coldly met with Yumi's green ones after giving her a quick one over. What he said to her next made her chest tighten, and had her gulping harshly at the suspiciously accusatory nature of his words.

"I don't know about _you_, but I'll do whatever it takes for me to win."

Her marginally widened eyes slowly draped back to normal, choosing to ignore whatever he was implying. And without sparing her another glance, Shinso turned around, his back facing her. "Good luck finding a team."

Yumi could only watch as her classmate played off his sudden coldness towards her, walking away. He had understood her wrong; thinking that she was disapproving of him as a whole, and not just his methods. She knew that she had to explain herself, to apologize. But...

'_This isn't the time_.'

*

'_Maybe Shinso **did** have a point_.'

Almost ten minutes had passed, eating at the designated time for team formation, and our red haired protagonist was still on her own. She sighed once more, walking and looking around her like she did for the past minutes, hoping that she would bound to find a group who was willing to take her in. But the problem was that everyone was pretty much set on their teams, not even bothering with her.

Almost on cue after Yumi's desperation peaked, the soft and angelic voice of Uraraka filled her ears.

"Yu-chan!"

"Ochako, hey." Yumi gave the shorter brunette a greeting nod, watching her blushing cheeks being adorned by a reflexive grin.

"How's the prep going?" Ochako asked with a tilt of her head.

Perhaps it was the lack of a team that, or the earlier quarrel she had with Shinso, but Yumi found her self unable to bite down on her sarcastic nature. She turned her head left and right, a gesture to show that she was on her own, then she shrugged. "Going _great_, thanks for asking."

Clueless to the bite in her friend's tone of voice, Uraraka frowned in realization. "You don't have a team yet.. do you?"

"What gave me away?" Yumi scoffed, lifting a hand to briskly brush back her hair. "Well, nobody wants a person they don't know in their team, let alone from the general studies."

It was a predictable outcome. Nobody on this field knew what her Quirk was- save for a couple of people. And this whole event was _no_ popularity contest. Nobody here cared if someone was good looking or had better grades or even possessed an explosive temper- like a certain ash blonde male who was currently Mr. Popular, team picking wise. All they cared about was their strength and the points they received based on the results of the last round. And unfortunately, Yumi had done nothing to make her stand out earlier as she held a measly sixty-five points in her possession.

Nobody knew what she was capable of, and she didn't care to elaborate either to the teams she'd attempted to join. Even though Akano was still hesitant to use her psychokinetic abilities in fear of losing control, she still wondered if it was the right choice to ignore and hide what she could do. And Shinso's vague words earlier didn't help at all. The pettiest portions of her refused to admit how half-assed her attempts at proving herself was, and she still preferred to hide behind the excuses of her fear and guilt.

And so, with no significant points to her name, and the willingness to only use her telepathy -which wasn't all that flashy at first glance, Yumi was stuck all by herself.

If she was being honest, she wasn't _completely_ out of options. Earlier, a midget with grape-like balls for hair had approached her, asking her to be on his team. She was surprised at first, maybe even grateful. Although the perverted look on his face and the string of lewd thoughts he had as he stared up and down her figure, betrayed his seemingly innocent offer. Without sparing him another glance, Yumi gave him a simple "no, thank you." before getting away from him as quickly as possible.

"Yu-chan.." Uraraka murmured, her hazel eyes softening. She and Deku had already formed a team moments ago, with Hatsume Mei of the Support Course barging in and establishing that she'd be their third member- for her own personal reasons. Since Iida and Tokoyami had bluntly rejected their offer because they had teams of their own, Ochako and Midoriya were off trying to find their missing link, someone to complete and fill in their unstable formation. And so without thinking, Ochako uttered her next words.

"How about you join us?!"

Yumi blinked owlishly at the offer. "Eh? Is that okay?"

"Yes!" With a nod, she answered all too quickly, only to frown in thought less than a second later. "_Probably_.."

"Which is it?" Aka no deadpaned at the contradiction.

With a droplet of sweat trickling down her cheek, Uraraka's face then lit up for some reason. "Deku-kun is our rider, let's go ask him!" Without bothering to hear Yumi's answer, she grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her along.

"It's better to team up with people you get along with, don't you think, Yu-chan?" Uraraka added enthusiastically as the two of them advanced ahead. Yumi's eyes slightly widened, her awestruck look missed by Ochako who was walking in front of her.

Clearing her throat, Yumi tried to regain her composure. But she still wondered why those words sent a wave of nostalgia down her way. Nostalgia for a period of time so deep into the past yet still felt like yesterday. For when she was a part of a team that felt too much like a family. When she was Jean Grey of the X-men.

"I guess that's true, but you're practically the only one I know here, Ochako." She finally replied in a slight deadpan. However, Uraraka quickly turned her head to her, dedicating Akano one of her infamous closed-eyed smiles. "That'll change soon!"

The two girls halted when they approached Midoriya and Hatsume. The two were in a heated discussion about an item the pink haired girl designed, and how they would be using it for the current round, so they were too preoccupied to notice the reappearance of Uraraka and the new presence of Akano. The redhead cleared her throat, catching their attention, and they both looked _up_ at her -since she was a bit taller than them both.

"Hello, I'm Akano Yumi, from the General Studies Department." She introduced, and Izuku's eyes lit up in recognition.

"O-oh, I remember, you're from that time in the hallway." He mumbled and Yumi took notice of his slightly fidgety nature. "Yeah.."

"Umm.. Deku-kun, I told her she could join, is that alright?"

At Ochako's announcement, Midoriya nervously shifted on the grass covered ground. "E-eh?" His large green showed his look of surprise and hesitancy, which was a given.

The green haired male had hoped for a teammate with mobility or at least good defensive abilities. And since Iida and Tokoyami had already been chosen by other riders, he was..short on options. But he still hoped they'd find someone adequate enough.

'_He's the guy who came in first. He has every right to be carefully choose his teammates, since he has a target on his back. Well, his forehead, technically_.' Yumi saw him bring a nervous hand to scratch at the short mess of fluffy dark-green hair of his that stuck up at odd angles around his head. "Uhh, well, can I ask what your quirk is?"

"I'm an Esper." She shortly replied. The look of confusion and curiosity on Midoriya and Hatsume's face made her understand that they wished for her to elaborate.

Bringing a hand to rest on the nape of her neck, Yumi slightly sighed. "I can read people's thoughts, communicate telepathically with others, amongst.. _other_ things." She vaguely finished off, choosing to omit the other, volatile, part of her powers.

Unsurprisingly, her words made Midoriya's eyes sparkle in wondrous admiration. His innate fanboy activating at the sheer uniqueness of her Quirk. "Woah, that's really cool!" He gushed with a large grin and an excited blush on his face. The three girls watched bemusedly as his personality turned a complete 180. "We could use it to stay alert and constantly be prepared to be on the defensive!" Immediately, he started coming up with strategies for their upcoming endeavor, something that impressed Yumi.

"Mm!" Ochako hummed in agreement, happy that he could see how awesome Akano was.

"I'm Mi-Midoriya Izuku, by the way!" From the sheer excitement, he let out a short stutter as he introduced himself. Although he should know by now that everyone in this field knew his name, and repeated it under their breaths. "And this is-"

"Hatsume Mei!" The pink haired girl interrupted, a wide smile on her face.

Yumi nodded, wearing a smaller grin to match theirs.

"So.. Am I in?"

**A/N:****HEY GUYS! It's been a while XD****How are you all doing? Hopefully doing well with all this Coronavirus pandemic****I hope this chapter was satisfactory enough! The interactions were a bit limited in this one but the next one will have a lot! It will probably have all of the cavalry battle in it, so look forward to it, ️****Comments and reviews are always appreciated! ️**


	13. Twelve

Up in her Umpire stage, the R-rated heroine leisurely stretched her arm, a wide excited grin decorating her masked face. "Now then, it's about time to get started!"

"_Come on, wake up, Eraser_!" Present Mic's upbeat MC voice boomed across the stadium from the announcement booth. "_After fifteen minutes to form teams and talk strategy, twelve cavalry teams are lined up on the field_!"

"_There are some interesting teams out there_." Aizawa added with a lazy tone that was a usual for the underground hero, and his dark eyes continued scanning the teenagers down below.

All teams were splayed all over the field, riders clad with their team's headband. Some were fidgeting from the sheer nerves or excitement, while there were those who were steady as a rock in confident stances.

"_Now, raise those battle cries! It's time for U.A'.s bloody battle! Light the signal fire_!"

At Mic's announcement, the crowds composed mainly of Pro Heroes from all over the country cheered wildly, throwing their hands in the air in excited patience for the battle to begin.

Meanwhile, Midoriya's team was set. In the brief five minutes they had, they were able to come up with a plan that was good enough given the time constraint.

The green haired male was finishing up tying his headband around his forehead, trying to secure it in place. He gulped rather audibly, but the sound was drowned out by the loud cheering of the audience. With a shake of his head, Izuku wrung himself out of the slightly nervous state he was in.

'_We can do this_!' He reassured himself, and his now determined, unwavering eyes traveled to all three of his female teammates.

"Uraraka-san." He began.

Said girl nodded. "Yes!"

"Hatsume-san."

And the pink haired inventor giggled in response.

Lastly, his green irises went to the redhead who was taking the position of the 'front horse' in their team. "Akano-san."

Without turning back, Yumi nodded, closing her eyes for a bit in a hum. She was satisfied with the way things turned out. As all four of them wore Hatsume's support items, and the plan they thought of implementing by integrating all of their Quirks, they would surely do well for themselves.

"Yeah." She replied.

"I'm counting on you!" He yelled out, pumping his fists at his sides. They had this. They could fend off everyone coming at them.

"_Counting down to the brutal battle royal! Three_!" With great suspense, Hizashi started the countdown.

But all the way across from team Midoriya, there were two specific teams that had their eyes on the band around Midoriya's forehead. Both of their riders more determined and capable than all the rest.

"We're aiming for.." Bakugo trailed off, cracking the joints of his knuckles. And coincidentally, the heterochromatic male across from him had made a similar notion.

"_Two_!"

"-one thing." Todoroki finished.

"_One_!"

"Start!" With Midnight's signal, all teams charged forwards without any delay. All making their way towards Midoriya's team, unsurprisingly. And the greenete flinched at the horde running his way.

"It's basically a battle for the ten million points!" Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, the rider of his own respective team, shouted. Being the closest to them, he was gaining an advantage unlike the rest. But there were others that were almost there, like Hagakure's team. "Midoriya-kun, I'll take that!"

With marginally widened eyes, Yumi almost whistled at their aggressive approach. '_I knew they'd be coming at us, but I didn't think it'd be that soon_..' She thought to herself. Before using her telepathy to speak to Midoriya.

'_Midoriya, What do you want to do_?'

Izuku practically jumped in place when he heard Yumi's voice echoing in his head for the first time. She had already told him that she could communicate telepathically with others, and they'd agreed to use it to remain secretive of their moves instead of announcing it for other teams to hear. It made him shiver at first, feeling his mind intruded while the soft sound of her words bypassed his ears and went directly to his mind. But nonetheless, it had succeeded in dragging Midoriya from his panicked haze.

Nodding, he quickly replied with a short stutter. "E-employ our escape move!"

'_You know, you could just think your answer_.' She responded back with her Quirk, in a sort of playful manner.

Now flustered, Izuku slightly blushed in embarrassment. "S-sorry! I'm still getting used to it!" He had gotten distracted for that one moment, and before Uraraka and Hatsume could warn them of the already too-close-for-comfort Tetsutetsu team, they felt themselves being pulled into the ground.

"Not letting you get away!" Tetsutetsu shouted, feverntly pointing at them. Juzo Honenuki, the front horse of the team smirked after activating his quirk.

Yumi's eyes snapped widely at the feel of her feet sinking into something similar to mud or quicksand, effectively trapping her and her teammates.

"What is this?" Ochako whined, still trying to get out of the softening ground.

An equally distressed Midoriya clenched his teeth at the predicament, watching as the horses of his team drowning up in mud up to their knees. "We're sinking?!" He asked, particularly no one, but Yumi was ready with her answer.

'_It's that person's Quirk_.' The redhead didn't break eye contact with opposing team's attacker, a bead of sweat traveling down her cheek. Keeping herself high on alert and constantly shifting through people's minds was proving to put too much of a strain on her, especially since it's been so long since she'd done so. Because afterall, the use of Quirks in public was prohibited, and even when her telepathy had a way getting out of hand, she still kept it under control, but now it felt a bit too much to unleash it all at once.

"I-I see." Hearing her in his mind, the greenette gasped out, scrunching his brows in concentration, and he mentally scolded for himself for once again speaking without thinking his answer. Exhaling sharply, Izuku held the jetpack's ignition stick tightly in hand. '_Akano-san_,' He began, insinuating what he was about to do. Yumi didn't need more words because they'd discussed what their plan of action would be when they were forced into a confrontation.

'_Got it._' She firmly replied to him, before switching to her female teammates. '_Ochako! Hatsume_!' She communicated with them, sensing the jolts of surprise in their heads. '_Turn your faces away_!'

Without any words being spoken, Hatsume and Uraraka complied to her request, and simultaneously, Midoriya pressed the button, and they took off in the air with a blast.

"He flew?!" Tetsutetsu gapped, quickly instructing for his team to pivot behind them. "Thanks to the support course, huh? Follow them!"

At the sudden elevation, Yumi clenched her eyes shut, the wind was dancing along her hair making it hit against her cheeks. But her focus was on top level when she heard the rider of an opposing team give an order to attack them.

"Jiro-chan!" The very naked Hagakure, shouted. She had the headband of her team wrapped around her neck, which was very counterproductive to her invisibility quirk.

"I know!" Jiro Kyoka quickly said in response, hoping to make a quick move. '_I'll make it quick and snatch their headband with my Earphone Jack_!' She turned around and began extending her flexible plugs. The earphone jacks lunged at the airborne Midoriya at such a high speed that they wouldn't possibly be able to dodge it in time. But for some reason, the extension of Jiro's ears halted mid-air, causing both Midoriya's and her own teammates to gasp.

'_She stopped_..' Midoriya muttered to himself in shock.

Kyoka, however, snapped her eyes from left and right, unable to see the hovering Akano, Midoriya, Uraraka and Hatsume just above her.

"They disappeared?!" She frantically looked around, unable to see them. Her inquiry only made her teammates gasp out loud.

"What are you talking about, Jiro?! They're right in front of you!" Sato Rikido, her teammate, reasoned, grumbling when he saw Midoriya's team distancing from them.

As the jetpack carried the semi-weightless team away, Ochako breathed out a sigh of relief, but she still couldn't shake off the panic from earlier. "Why couldn't she see us?" She asked, and she could tell both Midoriya and Hatsume were curious, as well.

Without a moment's hesitation, Yumi answered in a matter of fact. "I took care of it." She let her hand drop by her side after she'd released it from the position it had resting against her temple.

"Took care of it?" Izuku repeated, only for his eyes to widen when it dawned on him. "Oh.."

_During the huddle to discuss their team strategy, the four of them concluded that their plan to make it through would strictly be of the defensive nature. With Hatsume's inventions, and Uraraka's Zero Gravity, the team was sure to avoid any short-range attacks headed their way from the ground since they'd be flying in the air if any team got close to them. But sadly, that strategy didn't spare them from the multitude of students who possessed quirks that allowed them long-ranged attacks.__"You can leave the defense to me."__When the reincarnated Jean Grey had uttered those words, she was met with shocked faces and gasps of surprise.__"Eh?!"__A few minutes ago, Midoriya had explained the side effects of his quirk usage to both Hatsume and Akano, and the latter was slightly taken aback. Incredible power with the consequence of breaking his bones wasn't something you'd hear everyday. But then again, she had always struggled with control of her own mutation.__The fact of the matter was that she was the only one who could do something regarding their lack of cover.__Disregarding their expressions, Yumi asserted. "I can do it."__With a slight frown, Hatsume inspected the redhead with her amber colored eyes. "Do you care to elaborate?" If she was being honest, she didn't really care for the outcome of this battle as long as she was able to show off her babies, but she was curious as to why the redhead was so confident of her declaration.__"I have..a specific skill set that's useful for this sort of thing." She vaguely answered, and her lack of explanation only seemed to add to Izuku's hesitation, unlike Ochako who looked to believe full heartedly in her.__A drop of sweat traveled down the greenette's cheek, slightly looking doubtful. He just didn't know what she could do with her quirk. "A-are you sure?"__"Yes." She answered without missing a heartbeat. "Midoriya, I know that you're trying to demonstrate that winning first place earlier wasn't just a fluke." Her words slightly surprised him, and had him wondering how she could tell. And then he remembered that she could literally read minds. So Izuku listened intently as she continued.__"I understand that. I, too, am trying to prove myself. So you can trust me."_

The earlier conversation they had quickly flashed by Midoriya's head, causing the dots to connect.

A small huff of air escaped through Akano's lips before she explained what she'd done. "It's not like I can physically turn us invisible, I just convinced her mind that we weren't there."

The still flabbergasted Izuku gapped. '_She could do that?_'

"Yu-chan, that's great!" Ochako gushed, her blushing cheeks notching upwards with a bright smile.

Yumi nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep an open mind over our blind spots."

"Wow, that's so cool, Akano-san! The defense that we were lacking.. You're more than making up for it with your omnidirectional defense!" He loudly blabbered with fanboy blush dabbing his cheeks. She really was an integral part of their time.

Before Yumi could reply to his overrated comment, Ochako interjected.

"We're landing!"

'_Making everyone other than Uraraka weightless, so our weight is just Uraraka plus the equipment and clothes_..' Yumi heard Midoriya thinking to himself as their boot-clad feet landed on the ground with a thud.

"What do you think of my babies?" Mei asked with a wild grin, scouting for a compliment herself. "Aren't they cute? Cuteness can be made, you know." She gushed over her own inventions, her eyes sparking behind her thick goggles.

Yumi slightly turned her head towards her, and yet another wave of nostalgia hit her hard. This time the fondest of memories returning to her once she realized that Hatsume Mei was much like Hank McCoy.

Hank, who was codenamed 'Beast', was a brilliant, well-educated man in the arts and sciences, with his own witty sense of humor. He was not only a world-class inventor and authority on biochemistry and genetics, but the X-Men's medical doctor, as well. Having him around Xavier's institute, Jean couldn't help but idolize him growing up. It was because of him that she'd developed a passion for science and the medical field, hoping that one day she could be like him. Grey was always hanging around his laboratory and even interning under his mentorship. Whenever he had free time, he would constantly experiment with new inventions and gush about them in unadulterated excitement. His antics had never failed to put a smile on her face.

When Izuku went to reply to Hatsume's question, Jean was snapped back to reality.

"Excellent mobility! The babies are amazing, Hatsume-san!" Midoriya complimented the pink haired girl, and his words caused her to cackle in pride. "Right?"

Wearing the smallest of smiles on her rosy lips, Yumi turned her way. "You're quite innovative." She said, causing the girl to grin even wider.

Ochako pouted childishly after seeing that all the praise was headed towards the inventor. '_It's because I'm making them float_..' Her jealous-like inner voice went to Yumi's head right away, and it made her softly giggle in amusement.

"_Now then, even though barely two minutes have passed since we've started, It's already turned into a free-for-all_!" Present Mic gushed as he and Eraser Head watched over the frantic teams. "_Fights over the headbands breaking out all over! Ignoring the ten million points and going for second to fourth places isn't bad, either!_" He commented loudly.

After Present Mic's statement boomed across the stadium, Yumi could hear someone hissing to himself.

'_Fighting? No, this is a one-sided pillage_!' Mineta Minoru triumphantly thought to himself, overly confident in his plan as his team advanced towards Midoriya's.

Yumi, as per instructed by Midoriya, was dashing away from Tetsutetsu who was still chasing after them, but she stopped for a moment to turn her head around, her untamed red hair flipping at the abrupt motion.

"Shoji-kun?" After turning around to see who was running towards them, Izuku gasped at the sight of Shoji Mezo dashing with his back hunched over, a visible hump caused by his Dupli-Arms. "What? By himself? But it's a team battle!" He wondered, his whole team pausing in shock.

Yumi shook her head. '_Someone's inside_.'

'_Someone? Who_?!'

'_Let's put some space between us for now._' She cautioned, seeing that there were teams coming at them from different directions.

"That's right, Deku-kun! We can't be caught standing still against multiple opponents!" Uraraka agreed with Akano's suggestion, moving to activate her quirk once more so they'd escape. But she couldn't move her foot from that spot on the ground. "What?!"

"What's wrong, Uraraka-san?" Midoriya asked.

"I'm stuck!" She yelled out in reply. Once he looked down, the green haired male released a gasp in realization. "That's Mineta-kun's! He's the one inside?!"

"I'm right here, Midoriya!" Mineta cackled revealing his smirking face from under Shoji's arms.

"Is that even allowed?!"

Soon enough, Mineta's smug face distorted into a shocked one and then turned sour in no time. "Midoriya, you bastard! Going off and getting your own harem!" His voice was dripping with jealousy, and even tears of frustration began to descend down his face.

It was only then, due to Mineta's comment, that Midoriya realized that he was being held up by three very good looking females.

"I won't forgive you no matter what!" Mineta screamed at the top of his lungs, enviously looking at Izuku and the three girls beneath him.

"Wh-what?!" A blush adorned his freckled cheeks, as his shy persona overtook his previously focused state. And because of that single moment of distraction, he was taken by surprise when Asui whipped her tongue forwards to try and snatch the ten million headband.

Midoriya's mouth fell open as he dodged Tsuyu's tongue by a small margin. "Asui-san, too? That's amazing, Shoji-kun!"

"_Team Mineta makes use of the overwhelming difference in their sizes! They're like a tank!_" Present Mic hyped up the current confrontation as he saw Midoriya's team struggling with the barrage of Mineta's Pop Offs and relentless attacks with Asui's tongue.

"Midoriya, let's get away!"

Without another moment's hesitation, the One For All user quickly activated the jetpack, propelling them in their air.

"Ah! My baby was torn apart!" Hatsume cried out.

"Sorry! But we got away!" Midoriya apologized but his attention was dragged elsewhere by the sound explosives nearby.

"Kacchan?!"

"Who?" Sensing the panic dripping from Midoriya's tone, Yumi's green eyes followed his line of vision. She took a sharp breath when she saw the ash blonde male who'd made the first year's pledge flying towards them at a massive speed.

"What do we do?!" Uraraka whimpered, flinching at his close proximity.

'_I got it_!' Yumi reassured, quickly raising her hand to rest two of her fingers against her temple to focus, and hurriedly entering the mind of the raging Bakugo Katsuki. She immediately headed towards the region of his brain that was responsible for his perception, trying to affect it before he was too close for attack.

"Don't get carried away!" Bakugo clenched his teeth tightly, accelerating his speed with a massive explosion to catch up to them. And he was in front of them in the blink of an eye. "Damn it!" He cursed at his childhood friend, quickly extending his right arm forwards and releasing a massive blast at Midoriya's team that was right in front of him.

Or at least what he thought was right in front of him.

"What just happened?"

"What is he doing?"

The crowds began shifting their original excited cheers into confused murmurs at what just happened.

After a few seconds, the smoke from his eruption dissipated, and to Bakugo's massive shock, he found that the whole of the opposing team was situated meters away from the site of the blast, unaffected.

With a snap, the illusion of their fake position Yumi had cast on Katsuki's mind was had disappeared, and was replaced with a searing confusion.

"_Just where were you aiming at, Bakugo_?!" Present Mic's loud inquiry added to his own bewilderment.

"The fuck?" Fair eyebrows twitched on Bakugo's face, the shock was still with him, and it was clear because he was still in his spot, making no effort to move or even sustain his elevation with another explosion. His timorous crimson irises briefly met with Yumi's green ones before he started falling back to the ground. Luckily for him, Sero had reacted fast enough and extended his tape to catch his team leader. Bakugo landed safely atop his horses with a flop, his flabbergasted expression still plastered on his face.

"What were you trying to do, going for their after-image?" Sero said, sarcasm and mockery fluttering in his tone that didn't go unnoticed by the seething Bakugo. It just didn't make sense to his teammates who were watching him charging in headfirst, and then directing a powerful blast at sheer air instead of the people he was after.

"SHUT UP! IT MUST'VE BEEN ONE OF THEIR QUIRKS!" Bakugo snapped with a wild growl, causing them to flinch. "After them!" He commanded, one hand pointed forward, and the other banging against Kirishima's head.

A breath of relief found its way out of the brunette's lips. "He almost had us."

Yumi's eyes wavered upon seeing Midoriya's and Uraraka's rigid and fearful expressions. "Sorry! That was a close a call." She apologized between coughs, her lungs trying to expel the smoke that was induced by Bakugo's powerful explosion. '_I could've made things a lot easier if I'd just used it..._'

Uraraka quickly shook her head, a bright beaming aura emitting from her. "There's no need to apologize, Yu-chan! He would've had us if it weren't for you."

"Mm!" Midoriya full heartedly agreed, and even Hatsume giggled a bit. "You did your best!"

She thought that with all this praise, she'd feel better, but it only created a bang of guilt to surge through her. She'd told them not to worry about their defense, and they all counted on her. They thought she was doing her utmost best, but.. '_Did I_?'

Landing was getting more difficult with Uraraka's torn boots -courtesy of Mineta's sticky balls- so fleeing to the air no longer became a safe option for them.

"_The cavalry battle is about to enter the second half! In this unexpected rise of Class B, who will wear the ten million points in the end_?!"

At Present Mic's words, Midoriya slightly relaxed, thinking that the majority of the other teams would be too focused fighting against each other. With it being a "Class-A vs Class-B" free for all, he thought they could be safe for now.

But he was wrong.

"I'll be taking that now."

**_A/N:-_****_Soo the cavalry battle took waaay too much more than I expected, so please bear with me_** **_But I hope that you liked this one! I'm trying to demonstrate the wide ranges of Jean/Yumi's telepathic abilities throughout these chapters, please let me know what you think!_**


	14. Thirteen-part I

"I'll be taking that now."

Todoroki's team suddenly appeared before them, eyes hungry for the numerous zero figures tied around Midoriya's sweaty forehead. The green haired male gulped rather audibly, and his anxious thoughts were quickly transmitted to Yumi's head.

She had suspected that the dual haired boy, named Todoroki Shouto, would be coming after them, what with him placing second to Midoriya in the first game. But she at least thought they would not have to worry about a confrontation with him until later in the contest. He really seemed to think highly of Midoriya, she pondered.

"Only half the time is left! Don't stop moving." Midoriya loudly spoke, yet again defeating the purpose of their planned telepathic communication. But it was a given since he still didn't get used to it.

"Iida, forward!" Todoroki commanded in his gravelly voice and the front horse quickly complied. "Right!"

"Watch our surroundings. It's not just one group coming for us!"

When Yumi looked around, she bit her lower lip in agitation once she saw what Midoriya meant. Kendo's, Mineta's and even Hagakure's team were advancing towards them in a rush, trying to snatch any points in reach. They really were screwed.

'_Midoriya_..'

'_Yes_?'

'_This might be a good time to tell you this, but I can't do my trick on more than one person at a time_.' Her words and hesitant voice were what drove Midoriya into a panicked frenzy. Yumi could only close her eyes shut once she heard his quivering inner voice echoing into her mind.

'_W-what?! You're saying that now_?'

After taking a second, Midoriya let out a frustrated sigh, figuring that there was no time for blame or silent ponders. '_I have no choice._' He thought to himself once he saw that they were in reach for all of the five teams already. And he pressed the ignition button to soar into the air once again.

"Deku-kun!" Ochako's eyes widened once they'd flied away from the scowling Todoroki. "I thought fleeing into the air wasn't an option because we can't land properly!"

"Sorry! But this is all we can do for now!"

What her team's rider shouted out made Yumi's heart clench once more. Like the close-call incident with Bakugo, she knew that she could've made things a hell of a lot easier for them if she'd just reached her hand out and took a leap of faith in herself. But her fear of losing control and hurting someone was still holding her back, paralyzing her every move. So she begrudgingly settled for using the other half of her abilities.

Looking down as they unstably flew in the air, Yumi caught the visible sparks igniting from the blonde boy in Todoroki's team, and then suddenly they expanded into fierce bolts of electricity that spread throughout half the arena. Luckily, they were too far away to be affected by the lightning, but the intensity of it made the Jean-Grey-incarnate swallow thickly. And if that wasn't enough, Todoroki used that moment of the other team's immobilization to freeze them all into place.

"_What? What'd he do? Todoroki took care of that crowd of teams in an instant_!"

"_He froze them after Kaminari's shock stopped them I guess it should be expected, but he took into account how a lot of people avoided it in the obstacle course_." Aizawa Shouta's grouchy tone dispersed from the speakers in the stadium, everyone cheering loudly at the impressive young boy's judgement.

'_Well, that took care of it_.' After they shakily landed on the ground, the redhead released a sigh of relief once she'd realized all of the other teams were immobilized, meaning that they just had to handle one for now. But the momentary relaxation was brief once she realized how difficult it would be to defend against Todoroki's team and what with-

"The backpack's acting up!" Midoriya said, adding to their trouble.

"Baby! There's room for improvement!"

And if that wasn't enough, the tenacious Todoroki once again approached them, his persistence proving to be almost dangerous as Iida speedily marched towards them.

Yumi's eyes widened, directing her telepathy towards the heterochromatic boy's mind, successfully hearing his thoughts that were in the line of: '_They have no where else to go.. I'll end this quickly_.'

That was their strategy; electrocute them and freeze them in place. It was a solid plan with little effort involved; as expected to come from the son of the second ranking hero. But Yumi will be damned if she let them take their band.

"Kaminari!" Shouto started, but said boy was quick to assert himself. "I know what I have to do!"

Like a dear caught in the headlights, Midoriya didn't know what to do except stand there with eyes wide as saucers. "Oh no!"

'_Oh, no you don't_!' Yumi determinedly clenched her teeth with her hand simultaneously flying to rest against her corresponding temple, swiftly entering the blonde teen's mind. Much to her surprise, infiltrating and warping this particular boy's perception was not at all as stressful as the rest. In fact, it was so awfully easy that it gave her quite a stun. Perhaps it was because Kaminari had reached his Quirk's limitations, and was already about to turn full idiot due to his brain short-circuiting, but she didn't know that.

Throwing his arms protectively in front of him in reflex and closing his eyes shut, Izuku gradually fluttered his eyelids open when he _didn't_ feel any bolts of energy stunning him. "Wha-?"

"I.. got him." Yumi mumbled under her breath, pouring all her focus into making Kaminari belive that he was no longer in the arena, and instead _roaming the outside of the stadium all alone._

Lips parting in relieved astonishment, Midoriya, Uraraka and Hatsume looked up ahead to see the Pikachu of a boy frantically turning his head right and left, his eyes distant as if he was looking through them -much to his own team's indignation.

'_Just in time_..' Midoriya sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today. He was slightly doubtful, however, wondering if it would've been the right option to choose Kaminari as the target of Yumi's trick instead of Iida or Todoroki, since she just mentioned she could only use this particular part of her quirk on one person at a time. And a wave of hesitation flashed across his face.

"I knew that as long as he keeps discharging electricity, defending against them will be difficult." She added, and her well placed words made Midoriya kick himself in the shin. Kaminari was the only one that they had no means of defending against if he were to electrocute them.

'_It's not just her quirk..Her reaction time and judgment are impeccable_!' His admiration peaked for Yumi when Midoriya realized that he himself could handle Todoroki's ice if it came down to it, but raw strength wouldn't do squat against bolts of lightning. Truthfully, he had some doubts when Ochako had suddenly requested for Akano to join them. But after spending the past 10 minutes with the redhead, he only came to wonder how someone as impressive as her was in the General Ed department instead of the Heroics course.

Meanwhile, things were getting slightly confusing for the opposing team, since they had no idea why their attacking horse was acting so bizarre.

"W-what am I doing outside? How did I get here?!" Eyes snapped wide open, Kaminari Denki stared dumbly off into the distance, a hazy look on his face.

"Kaminari-san!" Yaoyorozu Momo's used her soft yet assertive voice to try and attempt to snap Kaminari out of his daze, but to no avail.

'_Did he reach his limit already_?' Todoroki contemplated to himself, his calculative and cold eyes were taking in the panicked state Denki was in. Agitatedly clicking his tongue, the bicolor-haired boy came to a realization. '_No.. It's someone's quirk_.' His heterochromatic irises shifted their gaze up ahead, settling on the fiery redhead who was the front horse to Midoriya's team. He hadn't recognized her at all, deducing that she wasn't in their class after all. What caught his attention, however, was how her unwavering translucent green eyed gaze was directed only at the very much confused Kaminari, as a glistening trickle of sweat descended down her cheek. And that's when he quickly came to the realization;

_It was her. She was doing this. _

Knowing that they were running out of time, the class A representative, Iida kept on pestering Denki to respond to them. "Kaminari-kun! What are you doing?!"

Much to his own team's surprise, Todoroki was nonchalant about the whole situation. "He can't hear you. The rest is on us." He uttered under his breath, but making sure Iida and Yaoyorozu heard him.

Shouto didn't care. It didn't matter if his teammates could no longer fight any longer, because he would make sure to get in first place no matter what. He had to, what with his damned old man watching over him with vicious eyes.

"Todoroki! Yaoyorozu! Guys, where'd you go?! Is the cavalry battle over?!"

Uraraka slightly paled as she watched the poor Kaminari urged for someone to answer him, but all the sounds around him being drowned out and not processed by his brain. "Yu-chan, that's kinda scary..." She commented, chucking nervously.

Once Iida advanced forwards, Akano and the rest pushed themselves backwards in reaction. They kept backing up until they reached the end of the field with a hiss.

"_Midoriya's team has nowhere left to go_!" The loud MC enthused and the engrossed crowds cheered at the turn of events. It was now only Todoroki's team vs Midoriya's, since the former created a field of ice to surround them in. It was a strategic move on the heterochromatic eyed boy's part; so he could steal the band without interruptions and that way Midoriya and his team wouldn't have any place to run to, especially with their backpack malfunctioning.

"What are we to do next? My babies are broken!" Hatsume complained, seeing that there was no point in, carrying on since her inventions were no longer the center of attention.

Midoriya felt himself backing up against a rock and a hard place, grinding his teeth to come up with something.

Yumi's mind was picking up on the distress both Ochako and Izuku were in, and impotence rose in her throat like bile. "For now all I can do is hold the blonde, I don't think I'll be of any use while I'm doing so." She had opted on speaking directly to her teammates, since she was pouring most of her focus on distracting Kaminari, and with the rest of her telepathy, she had decided was best to be set on the opposing team.

"It's fine. No matter what, we will hang on to the ten million!" Midoriya assertively said in response, and a light bulb immediately ignited within his head as his caught the opening on Todoroki's left side.

"_One minute left_! _Todoroki made it so he'd have the ten million to himself to seize in an instant! At least, that's what I thought five minutes ago! But unbelievably, Midoriya's been able to keep away in that cramped space for five minutes_!"

Just like how the loud blonde Pro Hero narrated, the scowling Todoroki was still not able to get his hands on Midoriya's headband, the one that would guarantee him undisputed first place in this battle. Every time his team marched towards the green haired male, his team would immediately swivel to his left side. Purposely.

Shouto clicked his tongue and tried again, coming to the realization that Midoriya was indeed aiming for his left side, knowing full well that if he wanted to freeze them over the shortest distance possible, he'll get his front horse, too. They weren't getting anything out of Kaminari either, since he's been a confused mess for the past five minutes all thanks to that red haired girl on Midoriya's team.

"Hold!" Izuku hurriedly said to the three girls holding him up while raising his arm up cautiously. Yumi resisted the urge to smile because of how effective the freckled boy's plan was. But even as she continuously warped the Pikachu boy's perception of the situation, things were far from settling down at the opposing teams.

With a huff and two of her fingers lifting to gently rest against her temple, the red haired beauty used her access into Kaminari's brain to tune into the hushed conversation that was being held by Iida and Todoroki.

"They're up to something." She breathed out the declaration rather softly, her raised hand falling behind her to sort Midoriya's weight. Both Uraraka and Midoriya were about to ask what she meant when she completed her sentence. "He's going for the band head on-"

Before she had time to further explain, a flash of wind drove past the four of them, prompting them to freeze still in shock. All Midoriya felt in that moment was the light breeze that hit his forehead. His now naked forehead.

"_What happened?! So fast! So fast!! Iida, if you could accelerate that fast, then show us in the prelims_!"

"Even though we knew it was coming-"

"-we couldn't dodge it."

"He's too fast!" Izuku yelled out, pivoting around to meet eyes with the smirking Iida Tenya.

Yumi's eyes snapped open, the momentary shock almost causing the hold she had on Kaminari's mind to falter. Reality hit her hard at the commentary that left Present Mic's mouth. "_The tables are turned! Offense and defense right on the edge! Reining that in, Todoroki gets the ten million! And Midoriya is suddenly left with zero points_!"

And just then, a wave of dread engulfed the entirety of their team.

A few meters away from them, Todoroki held the sacred ten million band between his shaky fingers, heterochromatic eyes wide in disbelief at how fast they just went. Even Yaoyorozu was dumbfounded at the sudden acceleration.

"What...was that?"

Panting, Iida felt his legs shake under the heat generated by his engines, a cold sweat forming on his face. "By forcing the torque and rotations to increase, I created an explosive power. It's a secret move that I hadn't told anyone in my class." He mumbled the last part, his mind dreading the glaring weakness of his special technique. '_With the recoil, my engine stalls for a while, though_.' Unfortunately for him, after that single thought of his, he was no longer the only one to know the drawback to his secret move.

His lips tugging further upwards, glasses a bit crooked, Tenya turned to his friends, pride blooming in his insides as his voice went a few decibels higher to direct his words to him. "I told you, didn't I, Midoriya-kun? That I'd challenge you."

"_With less than a minute left, Todoroki currently has four headbands! He's wrested the top spot away from Midoriya, who was running away like crazy_!"

"Get back in there!" Broccoli green eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched to display his distress at the current predicament, Midoriya yelled to his teammates.

"Won't it be safer to try for other points?" Hatsume interjected before they had to move.

"No! I don't know how the other points got split up!"

"But, Deku-kun! With Iida-kun being this fast, we won't be able to get our points back from them!"

At Uraraka's reasonable reply, hesitation blinked into Midoriya's boyish features.

"No!" Akano uncharacteristically shouted loudly, even catching the attention of the opposing team. With a newfound sense of frustration seeping into her insides, Yumi tilted her head back to the shaking Izuku and Ochako. "He can't move for now, his engine is overheated!"

Her loud words caused the people on both her team and Todoroki's team to widen, mouths gapping.

"How'd you-"

"Mind reader, remember?" She smirked at the green haired teenager readying to sprint in the direction of Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Iida, and the out-of-service Kaminari. Her smirk fell off her face almost immediately when she pondered to herself. '_Is it.. Is it okay if I use it now_?'

"Let's go! This is our only chance!" Midoriya's face relaxing a bit at Yumi's reassurance, he pointed his arm up ahead.

"We'll get it back, Deku-kun! We definitely will!"

"Uraraka-san.."

Feeling motivated by the feelings of the three people who trusted in him to win this round, Midoriya clenched his teeth in concentration. He allowed the familiar heat to spread through his arm, activating One For All as they got closer to Todoroki.

Yumi's translucent green eyes followed as Izuku's whole right arm started to glow a golden color with bright red streaks interwoven into it. She was almost entranced by its sight as he jerked it forwards. '_He's controlling himself... Like a tiger trying to pet a baby bird_.' She thought, and then directed her focus up ahead to Todoroki who's face showcased how cornered he felt at that moment. Much to Akano's bewilderment, the dual haired teen brought his left hand defensively in front him, but that wasn't what caught her by surprise.

'_He has two Quirks_?'

But that didn't deter Izuku, he just simply broke through Todoroki's fiery defense as if he was cutting through air. '_It hurts really bad, but it's not broken_!'

After hastily grabbing the top band around Todoroki's neck, they whooshed past him and his team. "I got it..." Izuku muttered to himself in disbelief, grasping the band in his trembling hand before yelling in merriment. "I got it!"

Instead of cheering joyfully like the rest of her teammates, Yumi stayed dead silent. Her eyes were solemnly half-lidded, and she began biting her lower lip so hard that it started to draw blood. '_What... Am I doing_?' With Midoriya activating his quirk even with the risk of him _breaking his arm_, while she was still too cowardly to use her telekinesis.. Well, that was like a slap on the cheek for Yumi. '_This is shameful_.'

"_With just eleven seconds, there's an angry retrieval here, too_!" Present Mic cheered loudly, prompting for those present in the bleachers to do the same.

"Wait a minute, isn't this the headband?"

"They got us!"

Everything her teammates were shouting in panic sounded echoey and far away, a bubble of isolation surrounding her mind as she shamefully hung her head low, causing the strands of her candy-apple-colored colored fringe to overshadow her grim expression. '_Use it or don't use it.. Just what am I doin_g?'

"Just in case, we switched the position of the headbands! You're too naive, Midoriya-san!" Yaoyorozu Momo rebuked rather smugly.

"_Oh, no! Team Midoriya didn't retrieve the ten million points_!"

"Todoroki-kun, get a hold of yourself! That was close!" Iida nervously cautioned his team's leader who was still out of it after Midoriya's attack. The eyeglass-donning class rep, could only stand on shaky legs, hoping for the time to quickly run out. And much to his relieve, Present Mic had started the countdown.

"_Time's just about! Start the countdown_!"

"Uraraka-san!" Midoriya hissed loudly.

"Got it!"

Before she knew it, Yumi was running in tall strides, her body moving in reaction to the command of their team's rider as they rushed towards Todoroki in a final desperate attempt to get their points back.

'_This is no time to be docile_!' With unrivaled determination, the redhead raised her head upwards taking in the sight of Todoroki tightly clutching the bands around his neck in a vise-like grip, after his composure being shaken.

Now with only a few seconds left on the clock, desperation started to show on Midoriya's face, and Akano's, as well. So she raised her arm upwards frantically, and spread out the palm of her hand in a fluid motion. A familiar, intense, throbbing was felt in the deepest corner of her mind as she finally released her psionic energy, willing it to extend and wrap itself on the headband situated in the least guarded area on Todoroki -his forehead. Even her fingers ached and stretched as she awaited for that white piece of cloth to find its way to her -an action missed by everyone around her, who were drawn by something _else_.

In that lapse of time, Bakugo had appeared into the scene after blasting off and separating from his team. Both the ash blonde and Midoriya were gunning for Todoroki who was awaiting them in alert. But he had been so focused on the two enemies approaching that he completely missed the sensation of losing the band that used to be wrapped around his forehead.

"_Time's up_!"


	15. Thirteen-part II

"_Time's up_!"

Just as those words left Present Mic's mouth, Yumi's fingers safely gripped the 650 points. Her panting didn't cease, and if anything it increased as she stopped her ministrations, releasing the hold she had on Kaminari's mind. Her fringe was stuck to her sweaty forehead as she let her arm droop by her side, her eyes wide open.

"_That's the end of the second round, the cavalry battle! Now, let's take a look at the top four teams right away_!"

After Midoriya dismounted off the three girls, a dejected Ochako released a deep sigh as she stood by Yumi's side. She was immensely disappointed that they didn't qualify for the next round, or so she thought. But her depressed look didn't last long when she saw what her friend was holding in her hand.

"Y-Y-Yu-chan!" Uraraka shrieked from both shock and excitement. "Where did you get that from?!" In the heat of the moment, she placed her hands on the taller girls shoulders and quickly began shaking it ecstatically. "Does that mean we get to qualify?!"

"I hope so, otherwise I'm getting dizzy for no reason."

"S-sorry.." The brown haired girl chuckled heartily, ceasing to shake Yumi, who smiled softly in return. Ochako wasted no time to run to Deku to tell him the good news, and when he turned his head in their direction he let out a dreadful apology. Only then when he saw the headband that was once wrapped around Todoroki's forehead splayed between Akano's fingers that Midoriya's face beamed joyfully.

"_In fourth place, Midoriya's team_!"

"Whoa- how- EEEEEH?!" Deku stuttered, face pink and eyes sparkling with an enthusiastic giddiness. And his fidgety state made the redhead's lips raise even further at his uplifted expression. "HOW DID YOU GET IT, AKANO-SAN?! -I'M SO HAPPY I COULD DIE THOUGH!"

Walking to Izuku with delicate footsteps, she handed him the headband. As she did, she felt the satisfaction of not letting down the ones who trusted her enough to let her join their team.

"I told you my ESP included telepathy amongst other things... Anyway, I was hoping to get the ten million, but that guy was clutching onto it for dear life."

Midoriya's lower lip trembled, not fully comprehending how they ended up qualifying. And although he had nothing but questions ruminating in his mind, he felt them being clouded by the joy over flooding.

Meanwhile over at the team that held first place, Yaoyorozu stared up at the rankings of the qualified teams, and she noticed something peculiar; there were points missing from them in the final results.

"Todoroki-san, where's our team's headband?" She asked the distraught teenager, and he immediately lifted his right hand to his forehead, realizing that it was missing. '_What the_-' Before Shouto had any time to think, his ears were bombarded with Midoriya's happy squeals, and so he immediately looked over to see what was going on. Todoroki's eyes widened a fraction when he took in the sight of a red haired girl -the same one who'd turned Kaminari into a panicking mess- holding his own team's headband and giving it to Midoriya.

"She... Stole it?" He mumbled to himself, wondering how he could not have noticed.

"When did that happen?" Yaoyorozu, who still stood beside him pondered to herself as well, but her train of thoughts was interrupted when Kaminari walked by her, giving a continuous and random thumbs up as a result of his brain short-circuit. "Yay.."

As Hatsume took the jet back off of Midoriya's back, Yumi stood there quietly until she sensed a pair of eyes set on her form. Softly turning her head to the side, her green eyes followed where she believed was the source and they landed the half-hot half-cold guy. He seemed to notice that his gaze on her alerted her, so after a few seconds of standing still, he turned around and left. Quirking a brow, Yumi mused on what that was about.

Even after a good minute had passed, she was still staring at the spot he had occupied, silently wondering what he reminded her of.

"..A Canadian flag."

"Yu-chan, did you say something?" Uraraka queried, adorably tilting her head to the side.

"It was nothing." Yumi was quick to reply, shaking her head.

"_Now, let's take an hour for lunch before we start the festivities_!"

"Let's go, Yu-chan!"

"Okay." She hummed, following Ochako back to the large tunnel that lead to the outside of the stadium. The field and the bleachers were emptying rather quickly as the students headed for the cafeteria, and the guests made their way to the food-stands that had set up camp nearby.

Fellow first years were chatting incessantly as Jean walked amongst them, mindlessly nodding along to whatever Ochako was gushing about, which was how fortunate they were to place in fourth after losing all their points last minute.

'_I really am a fool. I'm still lingering over my past that has been long gone_.' Yumi gnawed on the inside of her cheek. She was sure that if she had manned up and used her Quirk from the very beginning, non of these stressful events would've taken place. Tightly clenching her fist that was swinging by her side, she released a soft inaudible sigh. '_I should be focusing on the now. On what kind of person I hope to be. And this..isn't it_.'

"Iida-kun!" Ochako suddenly yelled out, startling Yumi quite a bit. She looked up to see who the brunette was waving to and caught sight of the speedy bespectacled boy on Todoroki's team.

Said boy raised a rigid arm of greeting to his friend/classmate. "Uraraka-kun, congratulations on advancing to the next round."

"And you! Congrats on taking first place! It's frustrating though.. And I didn't know you had a special move like that! No fair!"

"It has nothing to do with fairness! I just wasn't using it as intended."

Awkwardly standing there as the two friends conversed, Akano's eyes darted back and forth between the two. Iida seemed to have noticed her shifting in his periphery and immediately poured his attention on her. "May I have your name? I'm Iida Tenya, by the way." He spoke formally, a polite smile decorating his face as he introduced himself.

"..Akano Yumi." She replied.

"Nice to meet you, Akano-kun."

She nodded in greeting, returning the gesture. "Likewise."

"I must say that I was intrigued and quite frustrated on how you figured out the weakness to my Reciproburst, Akano-kun." Iida clenched his fist in makeshift frustration, his exaggerated facial expression that showcased it was rather comical.

"Your what?"

He looked to Uraraka then back to Yumi, his navy blue eyes displaying his sudden confusion. "You did know that my engine delays for a few seconds after going that fast, am I correct?"

"Yu-chan can hear people's inner thoughts, that's why! Isn't it amazing?" Ochako quickly chimed in, jumping on the tips of her toes to wrap a friendly arm around Yumi's shoulders -an action that slightly took her by surprise but she was quick to relax into it.

Bringing his index finger to rub at his chin, Iida hummed wondrously. "Inner thoughts, huh? Is that true?"

"Yeah." She nodded. And at that moment, she caught glimpse of a familiar tuft of purple in her peripheral vision, but it was quick to disappear when she turned to check who it was. '_Shinso_?'

"What a rare and impressive Quirk that you possess!"

"Right?!"

The red haired girl got preoccupied scanning through the number of freshmen in search of Hitoshi, and she found her self humming mindlessly to whatever they were saying.

"You seem quite close.. Was teaming up together a bonding experience for you two?" Iida noted, confused as to how they grew to be this friendly despite being in different classes. His question drew Yumi back into the conversation, but she made it a side quest for herself to see where Shinso was headed.

Uraraka was quick to give a definitive shake of her head towards Iida, her psyched grin forming into more of a fond one. "We've been friends before school started. I think I told you about Yu-chan before, Iida-kun. I met her on the day of the entrance exam!"

About to give a nod, Tenya paused there for a second, connecting the dots as he thought back to the person Uraraka had spoken of. "Wait, that means you're a general ed student.." Iida trailed off, eyes wide and brows raised into a look of disbelief.

Yumi's fair brows furrowed and her eyes were narrowing into a scrutinizing gaze. "Yes. Why does that come as such a surprise?"

"No... I just thought you were from class-B, since you're so capable-"

"Well, not everyone who didn't make it into the Heroics Course is useless, if that's what you mean." She had spat out with too much venom entangling in her tone that had taken both Iida and Uraraka by surprise.

"Y-Yu-chan-"

If she was being fully honest, it had taken her aback, as well. Akano never really cared if people under- or even overestimated her for that matter. She didn't care what other strangers thought of her. But the way Iida had poorly phrased his sentence made it seem to her that he was referring to everyone else in her class, including Shinso - who was more than capable of being in the hero course. He even lead his team to third place in the cavalry battle.

Sighing deeply through his nose, Iida tried to compose himself to apologize for the misunderstanding, his sincere tone proof of it. "Please understand, I didn't mean to give offense to you or-"

"Non taken." Yumi interjected, bowing her head once. "If you'll excuse me."

"W-where you going?" Ochako stuttered.

"Looking for someone. Don't wait up." Half-turned, Yumi replied, her tone softer by a wide margin to reassure that she wasn't upset anymore. And it worked on the two.

"But, don't you wanna get lunch?" Uraraka frowned. Since she barely had any time to hang out with Akano during the normal school days, she was hoping to spend the rest of the festival with her. But she was quickly elated at her friend's reply.

"It's okay, I packed myself one. But I'll meet you in the cafeteria."

"Okay!"

*

The harsh rays of the sun of the approaching Summer were greatly contrasting the gentle breeze of the slowly fading Spring season. Yumi had to squint her eyes from the bright light and fight against the wind that moved her hair back and forth as she scanned the area surrounding the stadium for Shinso.

Once she did lay her eyes on him, she found the purple haired insomniac lying on one of the decorative fields of grass that were distributed around the school grounds, comfortably leaning against a tree for both shade and support.

"What are you doing here?" She all too abruptly asked him, promoting for his closed lids to snap open, mouth opening ajar.

His indigo irises looked up to meet with Yumi's green ones and his taken aback expression quickly relaxed.

"Resting, obviously." He lazily replied, shifting slightly. His groggy movement made room under the shade of the tree, and whether it was intentional or not, Akano took the invitation and plopped by his side.

"See? That's why you should be getting a good night's rest before coming to school." She chirped softly, friendly mockery fluttering in her tone of voice. Shinso only hummed in response, which only made the redhead doubt if he'd been listening or just simply drifting back to sleep.

However, not even a second later, the tall boy spoke.

"Didn't think you were gonna make it to the next round."

"Thanks for placing _such_ high hopes for me." She rolled her eyes, shifting her body so she could hug her knees.

Shinso sensed the movement by his side so he slowly fluttered his eyes back open, his gaze falling on her.

"Earlier, I'm sorry for-"

"You don't have to apologize and make it weird." He huffed, sitting up properly. At his interjection, Yumi was slightly surprised, since she could vividly remember how disgruntled he became with her before.

Yes, earlier, Shinso really was upset, not just because she'd rejected to be on his team, but because he felt that she was rejecting him as a whole. After she'd been the first person to talk to him without being wary of his Quirk, after she had told him that that same cursed ability he possessed was suitable for hero... It made his heart ache when she refused him, deeming his approach 'wrong' for her.

But it wasn't her fault that he felt this way. It wasn't rational. She was entitled to her own opinion and she was free to do what ever she liked. And if he was being true to himself, he, too, knew that forcing people to be your teammates against their will was faulty. But if he hadn't done it, who knows if he would have even qualified for the next round.

As he looked away from her and far off into the distance, Shinso felt the emotions of earlier coming back to him, and he let out a heavy sigh. "..I knew that my methods were wrong, but-"

"-You can't help the things you long for." She finished off his sentence with a sad smile, and he looked at her, bewildered.

"Did you just read my mind?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged.

Fighting the grin that threatened to raise on his lips, Shinso bit the inside of his cheek. "Tch, you're worse off than me then, Akano."

"Who ever said I wasn't?"

He didn't know what to make of that.

Akano brushed back a strand of her hair behind her ear. Light spring eyes were intent on apologizing, on showing the remorse she'd felt for rejecting his offer to join his team when he was one of the few people who actually did. "I don't care how weird it gets, but I really am sorry. You were just doing your utmost best, and I respect that." She could feel a bang in her chest whenever she remembered what Shinso had spouted when she told she wasn't okay with him using his Quirk on his teammates.

"_I don't know about you, but I'll do whatever it takes for me to win_."

'_You really made me feel ashamed at the time.'_ She lifted her head up, meeting his gaze as she dedicated him an apologetic look. "It was my issue."

"I don't really know what to say to that." Shinso looked up ahead, placing a nervous hand on the nape of his neck.

"You don't have to say anything, Shinso." She assured, shaking her head. She then closed her, choosing to enjoy the brief wind that wisped their way as she felt the mild fatigue from the earlier rounds leaving her body.

Admittedly, the first time he had met her, Shinso honestly disliked Akano. There was a constant bubble separating her from all those around her that he initially mistook as an aura of superiority. Yes, she was _beautiful and smart_, as every other first year gushed. But that was all he thought was there. He had figured that the girl behind that flawless exterior was just an empty shell. But boy, he was wrong.

Slowly, as he got to know her, Shinso came to realize how wrong he was about her. She wasn't arrogant, nor was she stuck up. If anything she was one of the nicest people he had ever met once he got past that sarcastic and distant facade she had held up. Everyone else in their class had difficulties getting past that air of perfection she unconsciously projected, so she ended up as the most alone. Which was actually a crime, if you asked him. Some heir classmates even started warming up to him in return just by seeing how easily she interacted with him. It was all thanks to her.

Noticing her silence, Hitoshi tilted his head to see why she stopped talking. And his eyes peeled widely at the sight before him.

On the ground before the tree lay the most beautiful creature he had ever beheld. He was seeing what the other boys and even girls were gushing about as he finally got a chance to appreciate her beauty. The first thing his indigo colored eyes fell on was the delicate pale face of Akano. Her eyes were shut, her luscious lashes fanning far over her face, looking full and soft to the touch. Her red lips contrasted dramatically with her unblemished milky white face. Shinso inhaled sharply as he noticed the manner in which her red lips were lightly parted. Long light-red curls fell around Yumi's body, his eyes trailing the stray lock that rested on the rising and falling curve of her bosom...

'_Oh, crap_!'

Whipping his neck in the opposite direction so fast that it almost hurt, a flushed Shinso cursed himself. He had been so lost in thoughts of Akano that he had been leering at her like a perv. '_Now I'm just like every other one of her fanboys._'

He flinched with the guilt of a criminal when he heard her voice.

"Can I ask you a question?" Yumi asked, stretching her arms above her head.

With a short stutter, Shinso refused to look in her direction from shame as he answered. "G-go ahead."

"Why didn't you just compel me to be on your team?" She had wondered why a guy who brainwashed his teammates to join him, hadn't done the same to her. Her question made Shinso stiffen, all previous embarrassing thoughts leaving him and now replaced with that desperate curiosity of why his Quirk had no effect on her.

Quickly and under his breath, he mumbled the answer. "... I would've if I could."

Eyebrows scrunched in confusion, Yumi tilted her head to the side. "I didn't hear you."

"Never mind." He shook his head, closing his eyes in an attempt to regain the composure he had lost minutes ago. "Anyway, what good will you be for me if you were a brainless doll?" He asked rhetorically, back in his usual monotonous voice.

"...That's true." She supposed his was right, since her a huge part of her Quirk after all was awfully complex and needed her own conscious manipulation, she couldn't have been of any use to him if she couldn't move, talk or even think on her own.

"Oh, a cat."

What she'd just heard him exclaim made Akano jump in confusion. And all was explained when her eyes followed his kneeling form that was petting a black cat.

"Oh, wow, it really just popped out of nowhere, huh?" She mused, incredibility visible in her tone. She was evidently talking to herself, because Shinso had poured all his focus on the tiny kitten, which he now pulled up onto his lap. He actually began chuckling as he heard the cat purr under his ministrations, an action of his that made Yumi internally gasp.

'_So he's a cat person.. We've been in the same class for weeks, sitting side by side, and I didn't even know that about him_.'

"He's still a little one, huh?" She commented, reaching out to rub the kitten behind its ears with her soft hand.

'_It's expected, though. It's not like I showed any interest to those around me before_.'

An everlasting grin took place on Hitoshi's face, andhis indigo eyes flickered between the kitten and the girl petting it. "Think he's a stray? He's so tame though." He asked, checking to see if there was a collar around the cat's neck, which there wasn't.

"I think the real question is how it got past the famous U.A. barrier." Yumi reasoned. The kitten continued to lick at Shinso's face in a friendly manner of greeting as she looked down and saw its tail swooping back and forth excitedly.

After a few minutes of silence coming over them, Akano began speaking again. "Shinso,"

"What?" He asked, not bothering to look up from the adorable cat.

"I submitted an application for a transfer, too."

At her words, Shinso froze in place, worrying the redhead. Even the kitten had noticed his change in demeanor as it stared at him with those brilliant blue eyes. A pregnant beat of silence consumed the air as the both of them sat there.

"...What's that got to do with me?" Hitoshi asked with a hint of something Yumi couldn't quite determine, but she chose to ignore it. "I just wanted to let you know because you're one of the reasons that motivated me into doing it."

"Huh?" His purple eyes shifted to hers, and she could detect the dumbfounded look in them.

Feeling the corner of her lips raising in a slightly challenging fashion, Yumi patted him on the shoulder before getting up to her feet. "So, don't you lose in the next round."

His eyebrow twitched, before he returned the smirk.

"Of course I won't."


	16. Fourteen

_Empathy; it is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. _

~

'**_In the spring of my third year of elementary school, something happened_**.'

_The wails and grieving cries of little children was all that echoed from the classroom. Some of the small clattered desks and chairs were flipped over as an after-effect of the rushed sprints of the third graders as they huddled abruptly towards the end of their classroom._

_"Sensei! She's dead!" One of the eight year old girls sobbed, her choking, trembling voice punctuating her words._

_The elementary school teacher huffed sympathetically as she comfortingly patted on the children's shaking forms. They were all gathered around the covered dead body of Usa-chan, the rabbit. "Yes, but Usa-chan had a happy life since she had so many friends like you around her." The older woman's voice was loving and kind as she gave the children a benevolent grin, but it quickly faded once she saw another kid separated from the pack._

_"What's wrong, Akano?" She asked with worry, seeing that the young redhead was neatly packing her bag before she put the straps on her shoulders, intending to leave._

_The teacher's question drew the attention of the other kids to the red haired girl, and they all turned to inspect her rigid form with curious eyes. _

**_''Unlike the rest of them, I was no stranger to the concept of death. So naturally, I wasn't as fazed like them by the perishing of a class pet.'_**

_The eight year old Yumi inhaled sharply. She was fully aware of the confused glances her teacher and classmates sent her. However, all she cared about at that moment was the need to get out. She needed to leave that classroom because it was getting all too stuffy for her. She felt as though the air was turning and forming into chips of broken glass as it traveled down to her lungs. Clutching the straps of her bag in a vice-like grip, she gritted her teeth._

_"I have homework to do, can I go home now?" She managed to ask with a steady voice, and a stoic expression to mask her raging discomfort._

_"Y-yeah.."_

_Yumi then quickly retreated, her small feet taking surprisingly long strides as she ignored the gasps of surprise from her teacher and fellow classmates. _

'**_Ever since then, I was ostracized by the rest of my classmates for the rest of my elementary school days.' _**

_Over the next few weeks, the young Akano couldn't walk two steps inside of her school without hearing the whispers of people around her._

_"Isn't Akano Yumi in class 2 really weird?"_

_As she walked past a few girls and boys of the neighboring classroom, she pretended as if she didn't hear them. Her green eyes were half-lidded in disinterest, books she had intended to return to the library were tightly pressed against her chest._

_"You think so, too? I heard her classmates call her Ice Queen."_

'**_You're wrong..' _**

_Yumi's lips pressed together tightly as she remembered the sudden shift inside her classroom once they found out their class pet died. The turbulent storm of emotions that belonged to those kids was untamed as it oozed outof them and found their way to the unwilling recipient that was...her._

_"I haven't seen her cry or react to anything, not even once. I don't think she feels anything at all."_

'**_You're all wrong..'_**

*

*

"Hey,"

A surprised yelp forced out of Ochako's mouth as she spun around in her chair to see Yumi standing right behind her, bracing a hand on her chest to quell her startled pulse.

"You startled me, Yu-chan!" Uraraka squeaked, releasing an exaggerated sigh as she saw Akano sitting right next to her.

"Sorry." Yumi sent her an apologetic look as she suppressed a giggle at her childish reaction.

Her curiosity took the better of her once she saw that the brunette was sitting by her self in the cafeteria table. "Where are your friends?" She asked, fiddling with wrapping on her bento box. She had mindlessly grabbed it -along with her smartphone- from the locker room on her way here after she met with Shinso earlier, but she wasn't particularly hungry at the moment.

"Oh, Deku-kun disappeared right after the cavalry battle so Iida-kun went out to look for him." Uraraka said before sipping on her juicebox. She had already eaten lunch with her four-eyed friend who had left in a rush to remind Midoriya how important it was to rejuvenate with a delicious meal before resuming with the festival. The brunette's short yet thick brows perked slightly. "Where were you?"

"I was with a friend." Ochako let out a noise of acknowledge.

"By the way, you were really amazing in the cavalry battle, Yu-chan!" The shorter girl added, boisterously bobbing her short brown hair. "I still can't get over how you nabbed Todoroki-kun's headband!"

Smiling, Yumi bemusedly watched her friend as she flailed her arms around. '_Being with Ochako.. She's the type of person who makes others feel at ease. She's always smiling cheerfully..'_

Quickly shaking her head at the over exaggerated compliments, the red haired telepath interrupted her humbly. "Not at all. And if it weren't for you, we wouldn't have had the same mobility as we did. Your control was impeccable." She spoke with an assertive tone of voice that left no room for Uraraka to shyly reject it. "Th-thank you.." Eyes crinkled with happiness, Uraraka's permanently blushing cheeks turned a few shades darker. She seemed almost awfully too bashful for Akano's liking. She didn't know just how much Uraraka highly regarded her, and to hear such words from someone she admired from ever since they met, meant a great deal to the brunette.

Stuck at a comfortable silence, Akano scratched her a perfectly trimmed nail against the fabric of her lunchbox's covering. She felt the occasional glances Uraraka sent her before she awaited for her to talk. "Ne, Yu-chan can I ask you something?"

Giving her an affirmative nod, Yumi replied. "Sure."

Uraraka shifted nervously in her seat, hoping that her question would in no way offend Akano. "Why didn't you apply for the hero course? I was surprised when I found out we weren't taking the same exam." She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as if she was wincing, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Once she opened her eyes, she turned to the silent Yumi and saw how solemn her expression had turned.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be nosy-!"

Yumi quickly interjected Ochako's unnecessary apology with a nonchalant shrug. "It's fine. Nowadays everyone wants to be a hero, so I understand your curiosity."

"That's not it." Ochako abruptly shook her head, drawing the redhead's intrigued eyes to her. The former clenched her hands into fists, an earnest look shone across her face. "When we first met.. On that train, I was really scared, and you saved me. You were my hero back then!"

At Uraraka's bold declaration, Yumi's eyes peeled wide open, a short breath hitching in her throat.

'_That took me by surprise...'_

As she met with Ochako's expectant gaze, she found her heart slightly racing with the possibility of her dream already coming into fruition.

"Well actually.." She began, her voice slightly breaking up with an unidentifiable feeling. "Even though it's a bit late, but I requested a transfer into the heroics department."

"Really?!" Face blooming happily, Ochako clapped her hands together, and she almost jumped up from her chair at the news.

With a meek smile, Yumi nodded her head. "Mm."

Ochako broke out into a large grin. "Yu-chan, that's amazing! I hope we can end up in the same class, we would have so much fun!"

Raising a hand to briskly brush back a strand of hair away from her cheek, Yumi gestured for her to calm down. As great as it would be if what Ochako was saying came true, Yumi just didn't want to get her hopes up only to be let down. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ochako. I still don't know if they'll even consider my application."

"They will! I'm sure of it!" Uraraka reassured.

"Thank you."

"Ne, Ochako." She started once again but this time hesitant. "I don't know if it's okay to ask, but can I ask _you_ a question?"

"Of course!"

After giving her lower lip a quick bite, Yumi gathered the courage to ask her. "What inspired you into becoming a hero?"

After the satisfaction that started bubbling within Yumi from knowing that helping Uraraka with that groper meant so much to the brunette, she started to question herself once more. Whether or not she was aiming to be a hero with the right reason behind it. And whether or not she was just plainly being selfish.

"Uhh.. Actually..." Ochako was dumbfounded for a while there, and afterwards she started giggling nervously. "It's for the high salary."

"Oh."

Her words hit Akano like lightening at the moment. It wasn't that she was judging her. But it wasn't the kind of answer you would expect from someone like Uraraka Ochako. It was something she expected from someone like her class rep, Aoba or another materialistic person, not sweet innocent Ochako. But with those prejudiced thoughts set aside, it was a completely understandable reason; being a hero was like any other career nowadays, so of course a person would like to entrust their financial future to it.

Uraraka shakenly nodded, fiddling with her fingers in shame. She didn't have an awesome heroic reason that she'd like to brag about to her friend and that sort of embarrassed her. But somehow, she found that Akano wasn't as visibly surprised as Deku or Iida were when she told them. "I just wanna be able make money and provide for my parents. Let them take it easy."

What she'd just added had swiftly helped add things in perspective for Akano.

"Oh."

Yumi immediately felt bad for making assumptions as she found herself understanding Ochako a bit better as she observed her fidgety form. She was brazenly honest about her priorities and didn't attempt to hide her pursuit of heroism being in large part due to money, despite her embarrassment over admitting so. Yumi really liked that about her. Ochaco's parents seemed to be her main drive to becoming a hero, and she desired above all else to earn money in order to give them a comfortable life. And before she knew it, the red haired beauty mindlessly uttered her next words.

"We're kind of similar, you and I."

"We are?" Surprised, Ochako tilted her head to the side. She was a bit relieved that Yumi's opinion of her hadn't changed and even claimed that they were alike with such a benevolent tone.

"Yeah.. I also want to make my parents proud of me. Their joy is what makes me feel alive." She said with a smile that took Uraraka by surprise from how soft and gentle it was. "What about Yu-chan?" She queried reflexively, her brown eyes curiously gazing at her.

"What?"

"Why do you want to become a hero?"

Yumi should've know that the question she'd asked Ochako was a double edged sword, and she'd inevitably be on the receiving end of it. She couldn't lie nor avoid the question after Uraraka had honestly replied to her. With her head hanging low, her hair conveniently covered her eyes which now flashed with the painful memories and remorse of Jean Grey. "..to redeem myself."

"Eh?" Uraraka naturally flinched at both the answer and the grim way it was pronounced. And her dark brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you-" Before she could continue her inquiry, a ringtone blared from inside of Yumi's pocket and she immediately stood up to dig it out. '_Saved by the bell_'

Ochako watched as she saw the ginger's darkened eyes coming back to life as she looked to see who was calling her.

"Oh, sorry. I have to take this, my mom's calling." She hurriedly said before Ochako had the chance to say anything. Twirling around, she began to walk away to take her call outside of the crowded cafeteria.

*

"Okay, you guys, for the last time, please calm down. And don't speak at the same time, I can't make out what you're saying." Yumi spoke through the phone to her rowdy parents. After she walked out of Lunch Rush's Eatery, she found herself wandering in the wide expanse of the U.A. grounds, almost unintentionally making her way back to the stadium without paying attention.

It's been minutes since she's been on the phone with both Akito and Chiharu, and they weren't getting anywhere because of their ecstatic, speedy mesh of words. "I'm talking about you, dad." She asserted.

"**Teehee, sorry, sorry**." On the other line, Akito chuckled as he childishly apologized for continuously interrupting his wife.

With a playful sigh, Yumi shook her head. "Are you a kid?"

"**How mean! We're just really proud of you, Mi-chan**!"

The corners of her lips raised upon hearing her father's words. "Really?"

"**Mm! We're so glad! You really worked hard, Yumi!**" Her mother boosted, pride dripping sweetly off of her tongue as she grinned brightly.

"**Yumi**?"

"I'm not so sure that I did." The youngest of the Akano family managed to say through clenched teeth.

Chiharu and Akito exchanged confused glances in between them at they sat silently in their living room couch, the only sound was from the U. A. broadcast blaring through their TV. After thinking through his daughter's words, he came to a realize what she'd meant.

"**Well, that just means you're saving up your energy for the real thing. Right, Mi-chan?**" Akito smiled softly, his tone portraying a serious yet delicate nature that managed to slightly lift Yumi's spirits. "I guess.."

They conversed for a bit more before Yumi declared that it was about time for her to get back by now.

"**Oh! Make sure you don't get injured!**" Added her mother. "I won't. Don't worry." She earnestly replied back, knowing that she would make sure not to do anything that would make her parents worry.

"**We love you, Yumi/Mi-chan!"** Both Akito and Chiharu chorused in unison, gleefully at that.

Yumi's lower lip trembled, vision starting to get blurry from the happy tears that threatened to spill. She didn't know how she got so lucky as to find people who unconditionally loved and cared for her. "I love you guys, too."

After she hung up the call, Yumi looked around her to realize that she was awfully close to the stadium by now, and since time was almost up, she decided to directly head back.

The soles of Akano's shoes slapped against the pavement as she rounded one of the corners of the giant structure that was the sports stadium.

Her eyes were occasionally drifting back to her phone to check the time on it. On one of those times of distractions, she found herself accidentally running into someone with a grunt. At the impact, her phone fell to the ground with a thud, causing her eyes to drag down to it as she completely disregarded the person she'd just bumped into. '_Please don't be broken_.' She silently hoped, about to bend down to check it when a boy's voice reminded her that there was someone else present. His suave yet gravelly voice was oddly familiar to the red haired girl.

"...Sorry." Todoroki apologized with an unmistakably grim tone as he looked down at the electronic device that rested upon the ground. He shouldn't have been surprised when he mindlessly ran into someone.

He was out of it. His vision distorted and all he saw was red. The conversation Todoroki had with Midoriya just minutes prior had triggered all of his blinding consuming rage -heartbreaking grief for years past -desperation.

So he immediately bent down after that word left his lips, picking up the phone to find that it was surprisingly intact and he stood back up again to face the person he'd just ran into and return it to them. But once he looked at who it was, Shouto held his breath.

The lightest green pools he had ever seen slowly turned to stare back at his mismatched ones.

"It's alright, I wasn't paying attention." Extending out her hand to receive her phone back, Akano said in reply. She recognized the boy to be Todoroki Shouto; their competition during the cavalry battle. She had only seen him from a distance, his bicolored hair being his most distinct feature -white on the right, and a deep crimson on the left. But as she closely inspected his face, she saw a large burn scar on the left side of his face, though what she found herself oddly drawn to was his heterochromatic, grey and turquoise, eyes.

With his eyes boring into hers, she realized how extremely close the two of them were, their chests nearly touching. Yumi was so close to Shouto that she could see as he took a deep and jagged breath in, but it wasn't the only thing she could see once his arm brushed against hers as he attempted to place the phone on her open palm.

It all came crashing in on her at once. An ache began to set in behind her temple. She could hear her own heart beat loud and clear. Flashes of images filled Yumi's head when Shouto's hand grazed hers, and a sharp pain ran through her head concisely.

**She was in his mind. **

And when Yumi reached into it, all she found was _pain_.

There was a flicker of the past which was pushed forwards to her, bringing itself to her own brain so she could relive it. And as she stared at him and his static body, the world began to fade away. It faded into something she'd never seen before- but was so, so real she couldn't deny it.

_She saw a room -in a home that Shouto never considered a home- he was on the ground, fingers splayed on the floor and bile rose in his throat dripping beside them, staining the wooden floor.__When he looked up, there was a man; he was prevalent in each and every one of his haunting memories that Yumi knew who he was even before she heard Shouto utter, "Dad."__"Stand up! If you're downed by something like this, forget beating All Might, you won't even be able to take the small fry villains-" His father's harsh abusive voice was interrupted by the only ray of hope Shouto had possessed.__"Please stop! He's only five!" His mother pleaded desperately, falling onto her knees to hold her coughing son.__Endeavor's cold eyes narrowed dangerously at his wife, striking her away and she fell on the ground with a loud thud. "He's **already** five! Get out of my way!"__"Mom!" _

Yumi felt the pain rushing through her -if not physical, it was an ache in her heart she couldn't soothe. In a heartbeat, she saw everything.

_The groggy and tired Shouto could hear his mother's weak fragile voice echoing from inside of the dark kitchen. "I'm going crazy.. Shouto's... That child's left side looks very unsightly to me! I can't raise him anymore! I feel like I shouldn't!" She shook, her voice trembling from fear and anxiety as she spoke on the phone.__The, there was a silence that was only filled by the whistling of the pot of boiling water.__"M...Mom...?" He stuttered, a shiver running down his spine when his mother snapped her head towards him and she glared at him with a shocking hatred and loathing.__**Splash**!_

"_Where's Mom?" _Shouto asked his father. His voice was as weak as his physical and mental state. The left side of his face was throbbing with pain, begging for him to scratch at it which would only add to his agony.

_But that was nothing to the ache he felt in his heart.__"She injured you so I put her in a hospital."__"It's your fault...__"Huh?"__"You're the one who made Mom..!" Shouto yelled at at a loud volume to tune out the sound of his own jagged breathing and raging palpitations.__Head in his hands, reluctant tears leaking of both sadness and rage were pouring down his bandaged pale skin that was ripped and bruised. _

And when she flinched, the memories were lost.

Yumi wanted to retch. _What kind of father. No. What kind of man would do this to his family? What kind of mother would do this to her son?_

She felt a weight settle on her chest and a knot bending in her stomach.

The things she'd just witnessed when she touched Todoroki felt as real as if she were seeing them through the boy's eyes, feeling whatever he was feeling. It was like he was purposely showing her what happened to him, projecting all of his traumatic experiences. Those painful moments were constantly flashing before him, as if they were the only memories he possessed.

Without meaning to, without trying, Yumi knew. She knew that Todoroki was begging to be helped, to be pulled out of his constant misery.

"Here." Todoroki's voice wrung her out of his own inner wanders, and she felt the weight of her smartphone as it rested against her hand.

Yumi blinked at his heterochromatic eyes, her vision turning blurry from the thickening tear film of her own. While she felt that a long time had passed as she delved into his head, in actuality it'd been less than a fraction of a second. And part of her still envisioned the pain and abuse.

_It seemed so real. _

"Th-thanks." She stuttered, feeling her own voice choking up in her throat as it tightened further.

The bicolor-haired teenager was taken aback at her sudden change in demeanor. And if that wasn't enough, he felt her other hand grasp his as he began to move away. He flinched, mouth falling open. The touch took him by surprise but after composing himself he realized it hadn't really bothered him. If anything the soft touch had been soothing... to the point of gentleness. It caused an unknown warmth to radiate through his body. _Wait_...

"...Are you going to let go?" Furrowing his brows at her in question, Todoroki continued to eye her suspiciously.

Yumi remained quiet. It felt like every time she tried to form words, they'd buffer and stutter and they'd be shoved back down her throat, and in a moment of disorientation, she inhaled sharply.

After a few seconds, Todoroki realized that she was frozen in place, with no intention of actually loosening her grip on his hand or even explaining why she'd balantly done so. Determinedly, he squirmed under her touch, trying to untangle himself from her, and he successfully did.

"Well, then." After releasing a deep sigh at this rather confusing and awkward encounter, Todoroki turned around and began to walk away, but not before sparing her one last glance.

As she stood in place, Todoroki Shouto somberly eased his way through the dull stony fixings of the stadium.

Yumi wanted to shrug it off, she wanted to go about her day as though she hadn't seen anything, as though she hadn't felt all these years worth of agony, pain, and anger of his rushing through her all at once like a furious wave. But a part of her, one that was filled with so much pain and odd familiarity with him, held her feet to the ground, eyes glued to the sorrowful outline of the dual-color haired boy as he walked away.

'**_You're wrong.._**'

Her hands shook as she stayed planted to the ground, her spine aching at the rigid position she was in. As the sob she'd held back continued to claw its way out, Yumi felt as though she couldn't breath. "What the hell?" Just as she released those words, so did the tears she'd held back. Her cheeks instantly stained with them as they continued to drain out of her eyes, and her lips trembled at her choked breathing.

'**_You're all wrong.._**'

Yumi's heart raced within its ribcage, feeling the emotions she'd just received crushing her over with the heaviness of their weight. She'd felt so utterlyalone within this moment, abandoned in deep dark pit from which there was no climbing out.

"Uhh, Akano-san?! A-are you okay?!"

Yumi whipped her head into the direction of the flustered Midoriya Izuku, her eyes snapping wide open at the sudden company. "E-eh?"

Apparently, he had walked past her as grief overflowed her eyes, tears running down her reddened cheeks. Izuku had even made a rather loud startled noise mixed with a wheeze, caught off guard by the sight her crying. But she'd completely missed his presence as it went by unnoticed for the last few moments.

Immediately, her clenched hands raised up to her face in an attempt to wipe away the tears or even hide them from the green haired boy. "Y-yeah." She uncharacteristically stammered, feeling slightly embarrassed to be caught at a vulnerable time such as this. She breathed in and out slowly and deeply before quickly masking her inner turmoil.

'**_I distanced myself not because I was heartless... Not because I didn't feel anything..._**'

"I guess I'm just feeling nervous about the next event, that's all." She lied through her teeth. She saw that he was still hesitant to believe her, his eyes flashing with worry for her.

"O-oh, is that so.." He trailed off, lips pressed together tightly. "At any case, g-good luck on the next round!" Midoriya exclaimed, his initial shock of finding his former teammate crying her eyes out still not leaving him as he stuttered.

"Thanks. You, too." As she clenched her fists by her side, an unidentifiably fake smile rose to the corners of Yumi's lips. He returned the gesture, but his only revealed concern.

**_'But because I felt too much. I felt everything.'_**

**A/N:-**

**Heey another update Hopefully it was a good one... Your supportive comments are what are encouraging to keep writing ️**

**So that was the first meeting between Todoroki andn Jean! Opinions? What do you think/hope will happen from then on?**

**By the way, that scene where she enters Todoroki's head and sees his memories is partially inspired by the very first X-men movie where Jean helps out Logan retrieve his lost memories. Yumi can go through people's memories and even manipulate them so long she's given time and is close enough to said person's memories. Don't worry if, you're confused regarding the telepathic range of Jean's power, I'll publish an individual info chapter soon explaining all of her abilities.**


	17. Fifteen

**Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well!**

**There's this awesome drawing of Akano Yumi/Jean Grey is done by the awesome Kureha-chan!**

**Click here to check it out!** https/tebocchi./post/617846164575993856/a-mutants-hero-academia-dark-phoenix-boku-no

**And for any of you who love to draw, I'd be more than grateful to see what you imagine Yumi to look like!**

~

"_Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the final game! But before that, there's good news for all of you who didn't make it to the finals! This is just a sports festival! So we've prepared recreational games that everyone can participate in, too!_" Present Mic's voice rang through the stadium as he finished up.

The horde of first years all made their way back inside the stadium, including Akano Yumi and Midoriya Izuku who'd walked side by side as they entered the dark corridor after their earlier meet up. The air between the two of them was still slightly awkward as they walked amongst their fellow freshmen, which was an understandable outcome since the green haired boy had caught her balling her eyes out.

From the side, students whispered furtively, their acute stares following the two of their forms. One went as far as to forcefully bumping shoulders with Midoriya without bothering to apologize which only led to the greenette's bewilderment.

'_What's with them_?' He internally wondered, his eyes drifting back to the girl walking beside him as they exited the corridor and out into the bright field. There were no traces left on her face that proved that she was crying just minutes prior, and it made him a bit relieved that she seemed alright now. Even though they hadn't known each other very well, they were teammates in the previous round, after all, so he cared that she was okay.

"Hm?" Yumi noted his staring, so she she turned to look at him quizzically.

The shorter male's wide jade eyes opened further when her green eyes -that were a few shades lighter than his- met with his own.

It was only then that Midoriya realized just how beautiful she was.

Akano watched his expressions change from calculative to mortified to shy, shuffling between them before her eyes.

"I-I was just wondering why the students from the other classes are acting so aggressive lately." He speedily said, turning his head away from her with an embarrassed flush. Midoriya honestly didn't know how he'd been casually walking alongside her those past few moments. With his shy persona, he had a hard time talking to girls and with how good-looking the redhead was, it got harder for him.

"Ah..." She herself took in the jealous stares that were sent from the rest of the general ed students and pierced into all of the sixteen finalists. "Apparently they took the hero exam and failed. In hopes to prove the school wrong, they wanted to make a good impression in the festival. And that plan obviously went down the drain." She monotonously spoke. She maintained a firm look, but internally she was still shaken up after meeting... _Him_.

"Oh.." Izuku nodded in understanding. She and him halted in their steps once they approached Midnight's stage.

"Well, their attitude still can't be fully justified." Yumi shrugged.

"Is that the case for you, too?" Midoriya mindlessly queried.

Scrunching her eyebrows at him, Yumi's face displayed a confused look. "What do you mean?"

The color in his cheeks returned and she assumed his timidness won out in the end. "N-no, I-I just meant that you're trying so hard.. I just thought that you-"

"Unlike the majority of my class, I originally applied for the general studies." She interrupted Midoriya either a rather stoic look, eyes closed. '_Although I am using this event to prove myself_'

Midoriya was taken aback at her words. "Eh?"

Once she fluttered her eyes back open, Yumi caught sight of Todoroki walking not too far behind Midoriya. And immediately, everything around her blurred, the emotions he'd unwittingly shared with her rising up again like bile in her throat. All she saw in that moment was the dual haired boy and she felt her feet shuffling around on their own. She didn't even bother explaining herself to the confused green haired teen, uttering a quick "Excuse me," before she made her way to Shouto.

The heterochromatic eyed teen was standing spiritlessly in front of the Umpire's stage. As she strolled on towards him, Yumi stared onward in thought.

'... _Why am I going after him_?' Her eyes were slowly widening at the realization. '_We're just strangers to each other_.'

With that thought, the redhead paused in place, her breath hitching in her throat. '_Just what was I going to say to him_?' At her silent ponder, she released a breathy chuckle that was bitter in nature. She had gotten carried away. After she'd infiltrated his memories -a boy she didn't even know nor did he know her- with no invitation whatsoever, what exactly was she going to do?

Green eyes lingering with a yet unidentified emotion, they draped half-closed as she let her lips press lightly together. '_I'll put those feelings, **his** feelings aside for now. It's not like I don't have my own problems to worry about_...'

And with that notion, Akano Yumi reluctantly and hesitantly attempted to shrug off those unwelcomed emotions that were permeating through her, deciding to focus on the task at hand.

To win this thing.

*

_"All right, everyone! Let's have fun competing in the recreational games!"_

After they withdrew lots, the bracket was determined regarding the one-one-one tournaments. Still a bit shaken up with the whole Todoroki-memories immersion, Yumi's thoughts were blurred as she stood there. Her clouded gaze shifted tiredly along the wide screen displaying the battle arrangements, indicating that her first opponent would be Aoyama Yuga, a boy from class A.

A few events had transpired during the draw; a blonde teenage boy named Ojiro had decided to back down from the next round -much to everyone's shock. Akano immediately recognized him as the guy from Shinso's team, the one who had been _brainwashed_ into doing so. His decision took everyone present by surprise since it was a chance no one would pass up. However, the redhead knew it was a logical end result to Shinso's actions, who had quickly averted his gaze away from her at that moment. Even though the two general ed students had made up with each other during the lunch break, Yumi still hadn't entirely made peace with the approach Shinso took during the cavalry battle and the broken Ojiro's withdrawal added to her worries.

After the bracket was determined, everyone dispersed; some of the students went to participate in the recreational games, others exiting the stadium to prepare for the upcoming battles, while Yumi was stuck in place like a sour thumb.

"_First is the scavenger hunt_!" Present Mic declared up from the announcement booth, and the students participating in the game rushed enthusiastically to acquire the items that were written in the cards they had picked out.

"A cat! Please give me a cat!"

"Does anyone have a textbook?!"

Akano calmly made her way across the field, passing by the excited boys and girls who were just happy to be a part of a fun school activity. She stopped by a wall, leaning against it while sliding down to sit on the freshly mowed grass to which her eyes were solely focused.

Thoughts filled with turmoil, Yumi failed to notice when a dark haired boy approached her from the far side of the field. No matter how much she tried, she just couldn't get over all the pain and anger Shouto had radiated. She had only seen and felt a fraction of it, of all the hurtful events that he's been through which evidently morphed him into the boy he was today. Perhaps that was why he looked so mature and lonesome for a fifteen-year old-

'_Look who's talking_...' She humorlessly joked to herself.

Akano was still isolated in her own bubble. But it was only when the dark haired boy's shadow loomed over, replacing the bright gaze of the sun that Yumi was thrust out of her grave ruminations.

"Hello,"

She looked up to see the person who greeted her from her seated position, and she found a spiky haired boy grinning down at her. The first thing she oddly noticed was the wide, zig-zag patterned headband he wore around his forehead, which she assumed he wore to keep his hair out of his eyes. "Hi." She said back in a rather dull fashion, but you could detect the slightest hint of curiosity she held as to why this boy whom she didn't know approached her.

'_Oh, no. Please don't tell me it's another "confession". Why do they always choose to do them during school events_?'

His rounded grey eyes met with hers and he didn't seem the least bit hindered by her rather unwelcoming greeting. In fact, he took it up to introducing himself. "I'm Awase Yosetsu, from Class B."

"Umm... Nice to meet you?" She hesitantly said. She still wondered what a boy from the other hero class would want from her since he didn't seem to be all that romantically oriented at the moment, unlike the other boys in her middle school who'd made bold declarations with their cheeks aflame. But she internally shrugged, deciding to reciprocate the gesture. "Akano Yumi, Class-"

"I know." Awase interrupted. "I saw you in the opening ceremony."

'_Huh_.' Akano realized that she mostly had to make introductions of herself today almost exclusively to class A students who'd missed the opening ceremony at which she'd given the freshman representative speech.

"I'm here for this." Awase finally declared his reasoning of coming up to her as he extended one of the cards belonging to the scavenger hunt. Akano reached a curious hand out to read what it says. The red haired girl took it between her slender fingers, gently brushing Awase's and began to read it silently.

'_Bishoujo_?'

**[Bishoujo: Beautiful girl]**

Once Yumi was done sweeping the word with her eyes, she looked up from the small laminated paper that she had in her hand, which she reached out back to the slightly taller boy, indicating that she was done with it.

"I mean, I'm flattered, but-." She began, locking with Yosetsu's expectant gaze. Yumi's downturned lips tugged up a bit, her brooding eyes lightening somewhat. Her brow, however, still retained a hint of permanent sorrow as she faced Awase. "Sorry. Right now I'm not in the mood. But I'm sure you'll find someone-"

"Awase! Don't you dare get her for that item!"

'_Oh boy... I know that voice_.'

Yumi didn't have a chance to finish her sentence when the familiarly worked-up and obnoxious voice of barged into their conversation. The blonde haired boy stomped towards the two of them like a moody child. "It'll definitely get to her head!"

Turning her head to the source that was heading towards them in full, speed, Yumi was met by an unwelcoming yet familiar sight.

There stood her long time acquaintance, _Monoma Neito_, yelling at Awase who was previously conversing with her.

As Akano and Monoma made eye contact, the former refused to even acknowledge the blonde's presence. The disinterested look that was plastered on Yumi's face seemed to irk him even further.

Awase watched from the sidelines, his nose scrunching in both confusion and curiosity. "Huh? What's going on?"

His question seemed to be enough to separate the clash of green and periwinkle-purple eyes and the two broke their glaring match, which was far more subtle on Akano's side.

"Nothing!" Monoma snubbed, snapping his neck in the opposite direction and refusing to look back to the still quiet redhead. "Let's find you someone else." He suggested to his classmate in a demanding tone, determined that Awase should _not_ take Akano Yumi as the 'beautiful girl' for the scavenger hunt.

Awase instead just shrugged. "Nah, I'm good."

"Hmph." The boy with the slicked blonde hair finally looked her way. "If you look at it objectively, she doesn't even meet the specifications." He said in a petty tone, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Are your eyes malfunctioning, Monoma?" Awase asked with a deadpan.

'_Okay, that's it_.' The telepathic teen released a deep sigh as the two boy talked, finally getting up to her feet and dusting herself off from any grass that might have stuck to her. With all the effort she took, Akano wrung herself out of the depressed state she was previously in.

"On second thought, let's go." She abruptly said, quickly taking Awase by the hand and walking away -much to Monoma's infinite dismay. "O-oh, okay." Awase sputtered from the initial shock and for the fact that the two of them walked hand-by-hand. The warmth from her soft hand set against his was somehow traveling up his neck and settling on his cheeks.

As the two of them advanced to the finish line, Yumi could still hear Monoma's shouts and grunts of disapproval, and it brought a satisfied smile to her lips.

"Fourth place, huh? Not bad." The spiky haired ravenette grinned once they looked up to the screen displaying the ranks and results regarding the recreational games. Much to his disappointment, Akano had let go of his hand after they crossed the finish line, but at least he'd reveled in the jealousy-filled glances most of the boys from the other classes and his own had thrown his way for holding hands with the first years' idol.

"Yeah." The redhead nodded.

Only a few moments later, a chortle erupted in Yumi's chest at the sight in front of her. '_What the-_'

There, being woman-handled by an orange haired girl was the snobby Monoma. The aforementioned girl had abnormally large fists that were able to accommodate the entirety of Monoma's torso as she carried him in a sprint towards the finish line.

The sight gave Yumi unbridled joy, and the many other students surrounding her, as well.

"What was the hunt for?" Akano found herself bemusedly asking the orange haired girl after she'd made it into sixth place and dropping Monoma to the ground, who then protested loudly.

Kendo was a bit out of breath, a few drops of sweat on her cheek after she'd carried the taller boy. When she looked up to see who was talking to her, her teal eyes widened for a bit before returning to normal. The redhead awaited for her answer, which made Kendo flinch as she remembered the question. "I'm not really sure if I have it right, but..." She brought a nervous hand to the back of her head while allowing the other to search for the scavenger card in her pocket.

Yumi took the card with a polite nod, and the corners of her lips reached up to new heights in a grin as she read the words; 'Perverse Person'.

"I'm a mind reader. So trust me when I say, it fits." She assured in a playful manner that made Kendo smile, as well. "Akano Yumi."

"Yeah, I know- I mean, I'm Kendo Itsuka." Kendo finished with a nervous giggle. She saw that the well-known freshman rep had her hand reached out, and she quickly moved to shake it. Apparently Akano Yumi was well known amongst the majority of first years, usually fawned over by boys and girls for her beauty and brains. But she never gave anyone the time of day, so Kendo was pleasantly surprised when the usually aloof teen came up to her and started chatting up. However, the moment quickly ended when Monoma quickly intervened, karate chopping their handshake at the middle.

"Kendo! Don't shake hands with her, you'll be infected with Bumptious Syndrome."

"Eh?" Kendo tilted her head to the side in confusion.

From the sidelines, other boys class B were watching the scene play out. "It's my first time seeing Monoma actively hating on someone who isn't from Class A." Tsubaraba commented and received a "Right?" from Awase.

A long and heavy sigh escaped from Akano whose exacerbation reached new levels. She was adamant on ignoring him like she always had, in hope of not seeming vain like him, but she'd had enough of his childish behavior. So she did something she wasn't proud of and stooped to his level.

"As opposed to being petulant like you? I think she'll be fine with me."

The blonde gasped in response, but quickly humphed to hide his displeasure.

"I see you've qualified to the final event _even though_ it's a heroics student event." Monoma smirked crossing his arms in front of his chest as he looked her up and down, a gesture that was rendered useless since he was practically the same height as her. "You must be _really_ desperate to prove yourself, huh?"

"Probably." She shrugged nonchalantly. "But why don't you try being a little desperate then? Who knows, you might have even made it through the second game if you had."

Monoma's nostrils flared at the jab, which he unfortunately laid out the groundwork for. He looked away from the infuriating girl, mumbling under his breath, "Stuck up shrew."

He made sure to mutter the insults loud enough so she would hear them, and she immediately rolled her eyes. Meanwhile, Kendo just stood there, her eyes traveling back and forth between with a bewildered expression.

"So I see you still haven't gotten over my rejection, huh?" Yumi's face was neutral as she uttered those words, but her tone showcased smugness.

"-Who would?!" Monoma growled loudly, his face flushing red from both anger and embarrassment. She'd caught him red-handed with the cause of his eternal bitterness towards her.

"..Turned down?" Awase repeated.

"That's what she said.." Tsubaraba cackled.

Fists clenching by his side, Monoma swallowed thickly to regain his composure which he thankfully did. He smirked, closing his eyes and throwing his hand in the air. "That's why I hate arrogant people like you, you just think everything revolves around you. Seriously, you're nothing but an infernal nuisance to my eyes. Why don't you just go awa- Are you ignoring me?!" It was only then he realized that she was no longer listening, nor paying attention as she turned around and walked away from the bitter boy.

The blonde flinched when he felt Kendo sympathetically patting his shoulder. "So _that's_ why you're like this with her, huh, Monoma?" She shook her head, a wide smile decorating her cheeks. "A man's pride really is a fragile thing."

"Shut up!!"

As Yumi walked away from the horde of students rushing towards the next game, she decided to take a walk outside the stadium to get ready for the fight and get into the right state of mind. When she approached the tunnel, however, her eyes met with Ochako who was wearing an _American cheerleader uniform._

'_I swear, this day could not get any weirder_.'

So she made her way towards the brunette who was now jumping in place and cheering for god knows who.

"Yu-chan!"

"Wha- uhh.. What?" Yumi held back the laughter that threatened to spill from her lips, clearing her throat and holding her stomach. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Kaminari-kun and Mineta-kun played a prank on us and got us to wear these cheerleader uniforms!" Uraraka complained with too much pep, moving her arms around which made the pom-poms shake in her hands. But she suddenly got a bit nervous under Yumi's bemused gaze. "Does it look too weird?" She asked rubbing the back of her head with her pom-pom clad hand.

"No, you look great." Yumi shook her head. "You even got pom-poms there. Going all out, huh?" She had an unusually large grin plastered on her face. That smile...was the only thing holding back the full belly laughter that wanted to get out.

Ochako nodded. "I thought it was a good idea to calm my nerves..." She trailed off, giggling. On her face, Yumi could see a swirl of emotions, in which restlessness shone above all. Losing the amused expression, her green eyes softened in understanding. She dedicated a comforting a hand on the shorter girl's forearm for her hand was currently occupied. "Don't worry, you'll do great." She reassured. To Ochako, the serene warmth of Yumi's touch was akin to the same day they'd first met when she calmed her down after rescuing her from that groper.

Her lips trembled, the weight of her fear of screwing up the upcoming fight against Bakugo was slowly lightening. "You really think so?"

Her friend gave her an assertive nod. "I know so."

"B-b-b-but, it's Bakugo-kun!"

Watching her Ochako's stuttering, quivering form, she felt a wave of empathy for her friend's emotional state. "Your match is with that explosion guy, huh?"

"Yeah. Bakugo-kun's kinda..." The girl lowered her head, as a sigh left her mouth. "I guess you can say I'm really scared. But you know, I'm trying to braver and fight everything head on, like you always do, Yu-chan!"

"Me?" Yumi wondered. "Anyway, I'm sure you'll find a way. You're a full fledged heroics student who managed to make it this far. I believe in you."

"Arigatou, Yu-chan! I know you'll do great, too!" Uraraka beamed brightly, her blushed cheeks notching upwards in a grin.

Yumi smiled, too, but hers only revealed concern for her own upcoming battles. "Good luck to both of us.."

**A/N:-****Sooo how do you like the chapter? I tried to make it more lighthearted and fun, since the last one was on the angsty side Don't forget to favorite and to drop a comment! **


	18. Sixteen

**Whew! This sure was a long chapter to write I'm gonna give y'all a heads-up, I SUCK AT FIGHTING SCENES. Like honestly I think up and imagine these intricate and well played out battles in my head and when I put them into writing, they just suck balls I Hope that you can put up with me until I hopefully get better at this over time**

**Any who, enjoy the chapter! **

~

With the recreational games coming to an end, it was finally time for the one-on-one tournaments to begin.

"_Hey guys, are you ready?! A lot's happened, but it's now come to this! A serious battle! You can only depend on yourself! Even if you're not a hero,__you'll face lots of situations like that? You get it, right? Heart, skill, body, wisdom, and knowledge! Use all of that to rush up_!" Present Mic hyped everyone up for the first battle, whilst Akano made her way to the bleachers amongst the crowds to sit with her classmates and watch the first few matches before it was her turn. She'd passed a number of recognizable Pro heroes that appear on TV who were sitting, discussing the battles that they were looking forward to as she walked to the front row of the bleachers.

"Oh, Akano-san!"

Once she reached her destination, a number of her classmates immediately turned her way and began to congratulate her on making it this far.

"Great work! You were amazing out there!"

"You and Shinso-kun are like the stars of our class, it's really great!"

With a courteous nod, Yumi humbly thanked the boys and girls of class C. "Thanks..." She sat down next to a brunette girl, her last name was Sanada, she believed.

Cemenotoss was down in the field, getting the tournament stage ready with his cement Quirk while everyone was waiting in anticipation.

"_Audience! The finals that you've all__been waiting for are finally starting_!" Present Mic said, still full of energy, and everyone answered back with their loud cheers and chants.

"The first match is with Shinso-kun." Sanada said to no one in particular. She was barely able to contain her antsy excitement. "I'm so pumped!"

"Akano-san, who do you want to win?" She asked, turning to the solemnly quiet Yumi. However, the boy sitting beside Sanada immediately interjected. "Idiot! Of course she'll be rooting for Shinso."

"No, I just thought that since his opponent used to be Akano-san's teammate in the cavalry battle..." The long haired brunette retorted with a rational comeback.

Meanwhile, the redhead mulled over her question, thinking of the answer to herself. It would make sense if she were to favor Shinso for the win, since he was her classmate and friend -even if he wouldn't openly admit it. He had a lot riding up on this event, his determination and focus for the past two weeks was solely directed towards making his transfer a possibility. He showed more tenacity more than anyone -or rather, she could think of someone who was as equally determined to prove his worth that she'd met earlier... It was none other than Midoriya Izuku. During the cavalry battle, he, along with Ochako, was actually one of the reasons she decided to man up and use her telekinesis; his display of courage and resolve as he used his Quirk -which he had explained that he couldn't fully control- had inspired her to do the same.

So at the moment, she couldn't actually decide who was more worthy to win this match.

Akano remembered when the bracket for the one-one-one battles was decided and got displayed on the large screen hung high up on the stadium. At the beginning, her mind had been bustling with...someone else's issues, she hadn't even paid enough attention to check who she would be up against.

"_So you're up against the guy with the bellybutton beam?" Shinso asked her, appearing beside her. She would've giggled at his oversimplification of the blonde boy's Quirk if her head hadn't been so hazy. "He was on my team."_ The indigo haired teen added, shoving his hand inside his pocket.

_Akano frowned, realizing how out of it she had been. "I guess?" Then, she directed her gaze to the screen, reluctantly reading the name 'Aoyama Yuuga'.__"So you're giving me intel on your former teammate?" She asked, perking up a shapely brow at him.__Hitoshi shrugged. "I don't really have any, they just hoisted me around while I stole other teams' points." He honestly admitted, glancing away from her, his eyes locking on the green haired soon-to-be opponent of his, who was standing not too far away from them. The moment he had found out he was going up against him, Shinso had clenched his fist in both anticipation and something else. He didn't look like much, but the guy did come in first place in the obstacle race.__"What about you?" He asked Yumi, wondering if she could do him a favor and tell him anything she knew about Midoriya, since he was also her former cavalry battle teammate.__'**He's up against Midoriya... Is he nervous?'**__She felt her lips press lightly together as she watched his rigid form. He had told her of her opponent's Quirk, so she returned the favor.__"Incredible power that destroys itself. That's all I know."__Shinso swallowed thickly, wrapping himself in a facade of composed confidence. "It's okay, it's not like he'll have a chance to retaliate." He said in reply.__'**I'll get him before we even begin**.'__Hearing his thoughts, Yumi gave him a definitive nod. "Good luck."__"Mm."_

"I'm rooting for the one that does their best." Yumi replied to Sanada's previous question. For now, she was all for being objective and non-biased during this situation, a trait that she liked to think she always carried. Her classmates in the vicinity dedicated her awes of admiration at her rather mature answer before turning their gazes back to the event.

The two contestants made their appearances as they walked up towards the tournament's stage, the cameras focusing on each of them as their introductions began.

"_Even though he's done well, what's with that face? From the hero course, it's Izuku Midoriya! Versus--_"

While Midoriya seemed to look like a nervous wreck, Shinso was oddly composed, holding a stoic expression as he sauntered up the small set of stairs of the stage. Based on their demeanors, if it weren't for Present Mic's intros, people would've mistaken the latter for a Heroics student, and Midoriya, a general ed one.

"_Sorry, he hasn't done anything to stand out yet! From general studies, it's Hitoshi Shinso_!"

One of of Shinso's classmates quirked a brow up at the Voice hero's obviously biased commentary. "Class A really do get everything and everyone in their favor, huh?" His bitter comment was making the rest of his class to agree, but falling on deaf ears in Yumi's case.

She intently watched the two, her ears also focusing on the set of regulations the voice hero began laying out for the tournament. Her match against Aoyama would be the third, so she needed to know what would and wouldn't be allowed during the battle in preparation.

"_The rules are simple. Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilize them! You can also win by making your opponent say, 'I give up!' Bring on the injuries! Because we've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment! But of course, anything life-threatening is crap! It's not allowed! Heroes should only use their fists to catch villains_!"

Briskly brushing back a strand of her candy apple colored hair, Akano closely looked between Shinso and Midoriya, the taller of the two already starting a conversation to coerce the other into falling for his trap. Since they were all the way down, nobody could actually make out what he was saying, but it was definitely something that seemed to upset Izuku, proven by his scrunched up, almost enraged face.

Akano wasn't sure if Midoriya would fall for trick, because most likely one of his classmates had warned him and given him a heads-up, like with her and Shinso. But she found out how mistaken she was once the referee shouted the word, "Start!" and Midoriya shouted out a response.

"_Hey, hey, what's the matter? It's the important first match! Liven things up! Midoriya! The match just started... and he's completely frozen?! He's got a blank look on his face and isn't moving a muscle!"_

True to Present Mic's incredulous words, Midoriya was stuck in place, his eyes dull and lifeless as they gazed at nothing. The similarity of his vacant form to Ojiro and Aoyama's from earlier that Akano noted elicited a shiver that ran up her spine. And she deduced that she still had a problem with the concept of one losing control over their own bodies.

"_Is this Shinso's Quirk?! He didn't stand out at all, but could he actually be someone amazing?_"

The crowds began muttering in awe from around the redhead, and she, herself, was in the edge of her seat, watching Midoriya roughly turning around, taking rigid footsteps. His legs were shaking as he began to walk to towards the end of the stage, the trembling of his form a living proof of his inner battle against his own body.

"_Midoriya's being so obedient!_"

Akano bit her lower lip, while she'd still been a tad bit uncomfortable with the whole brainwashing thing, she couldn't help but be impressed at Shinso's power. As he stood there, calmly commanding his opponent to peacefully forfeit, to walk away, he sort of reminded her of the composed and serene Charles Xavier.

With Midoriya being so close to getting out of bounds, it had seemed that this would be Shinso's win, and relief began coursing through him. However, it didn't last long when at the last second, a big gust of wind generated from Midoriya that knocked him back to his senses.

"_Th-This is...! Midoriya's stopped!"_

The green haired boy stopped in his tracks before he lost the match, taking long gasps of air at the close call.

"What did you do?!"

Shinso shouted loud enough for people in the front row of the bleachers to hear, including Akano. The redhead was quite intrigued by the revelation, her eyes widening as she inspected Midoriya who had overcome Shinso's control. Her classmate hadn't really gotten into detail of how his Quirk really works, only briefly mentioning that it activated when people answered him. She didn't know there was a way out. But with the sight of Izuku's broken fingers that were zoomed over by the cameras on the big screen, she came to a realization.

'_Did he remove the brainwashing__by making his fingers explode? Is that what deactivates it?_'

Shinso just stood there, trying to elicit another response from Midoriya, but it wasn't working, and the green haired boy was speedily advancing towards him to push him out of bounds instead.

It all happened in a flash; as Midoriya kept on on shoving Shinso, the latter retaliated trying to push him out instead, but the green haired boy emerged victorious when he grabbed Shinso by the collar and flipped his entire body in the air, dropping him on the ground.

The crowds grew silent, some were in shock and others, like the class C students just plain disappointed at the outcome. Akano frowned deeply, seeing her friend lying defeatedly on the ground, his legs sprawled on the outer boundaries of the stage.

"_Shinso is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to round two! In the finals, the first person to advance to the second round is Izuku Midoriya from Class A_!"

Clenching her fists by her side, Yumi got up to her feet without her classmates noticing, since they were still too engrossed with outcome of the fight. The redhead couldn't help but let her eyes wander to Midoriya, who in spite of winning, looked grim, holding his bruised finger. '_Turning the tables at the last moment... That sounds like something he'd do_.' She smiled faintly, recalling Midoriya's tenacious attempts at victory when they were all struggling to win their points back during the cavalry battle. He really was impressive, using the minimum amount of his Quirk, only to snap himself out of Shinso's hold on him, and not even employing it during his brawl with Shinso, because he knew he wouldn't be able to control it, with it ending up backfiring on both him and his opponent. So he settled for the harder -yet safer- option of going in headfirst, and attacking without his Quirk. She couldn't help the part of her that pondered whether she should do the same.

'_But_...' Her raised lips dropped, however, pursing shut when she'd caught the sight of Shinso when he got up, and how dejected he looked. His eyes that were brimming over with loss had been focused at nothing but the cemented ground.

"_That was kind of a boring first match, but we should praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands_!" As per Present Mic's request, the people clapped in congratulations, but the sound was rather dull and spaced out.

"Ah! And he was so close!"

Shinso's classmates whined, disappointed that their friend wasn't able to make it to the next round, but still impressed at how he held up against the guy from class A who came in first in the obstacle race.

Sanada smiled nonetheless. "That was a great match, though. Right, Aka-"

"Huh, where'd she go?"

*

Light footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway of the intricate interior of of the first year stage. Truthfully, Akano could have even gotten lost on her way to the waiting room in preparation for her upcoming battle if it weren't for the strategically laid out maps that were hung up on the grayish walls. On her way, Akano silently lamented on the fight she'd just witnessed and the ones to come.

The second battle was going to be between a boy named Sero Hanta, and... Todoroki Shouto. After her encounter with the dual haired boy, her mind kept wandering off back to him throughout the day.

_"I'll make sure to win, without using my damn old man's Quirk... No... I'll reject him completely by winning first place without using it_."

She had heard his voiced echo within her mind when she unintentionally delved inside his head. She'd seen a lot of painful memories and thoughts play out in front of her all at once, and Yumi honestly couldn't say she fully understood Todoroki's past. All she could tell at the moment was that he loathed his father, and the power he had passed onto him. He was adamant on not using his left side; refusing and rejecting the fire Quirk he possessed like a body would to a bad organ transplant, which only brought Yumi at a halt when she remembered how he unwillingly ended up using it near the end of the cavalry battle. _Was that why he was surprised and distraught afterwards that she ended up easily snatching his headband from him at the time?_

It was ironic how she completely overlooked the similarities between the two of them.

Questions remained unanswered for the red haired telepath, and they only kept nagging on her mind. If she was being completely true with herself, this was a fight she knew she didn't want to miss, and she wondered if the waiting room had a TV that displayed the live battles.

Turning the corner to reach her required destination, Akano was taken aback when she saw Shinso standing on the other end of the hallway.

"Hey," She said, confused as to why he was in front of the waiting rooms instead of heading back to the bleachers.

He didn't speak, only releasing a low pitched sound of acknowledgment. The two of them advanced forwards, sauntering as they got closer to each other. The more he got close, the more prominent was the defeated look on his face, and Yumi's heart clenched at the sight of it.

"Otsukare*." Yumi cheered him on, her velvety voice was as soft as a gentle mid-summer breeze. She gave him a smile that he couldn't help but blush in reaction to, despite how anxious he was after losing.

Shinso swallowed thickly, his adam's apple bobbing as he did, the action succeeded in reducing the flow of blood to his cheeks. His eyes then narrowed; to anyone else, they would've been daunting, menacing, threatening, but to her who had gotten to know him better over the past few weeks, she could see right past the playful glare. "Not at all happy to hear that from you." He scoffed without any sincerity to his cold attitude.

"What brings you here?" She asked, tilting her head in question.

"...Just taking a walk." He said, too proud to admit that he'd gotten lost; apparently he was too distracted on his way back that he missed the laid out maps.

A pregnant beat of silence consumed the corridor as the both of them stood in front of each other, but it was broken by Yumi. "It was a close match."

Shinso grinded on his teeth, remembering how frustrating it was to lose to Midoriya, and how overwhelmed he felt at the time. "No, it wasn't."

"Wha-"

"Just as well, don't you lose. Show 'em what we general ed students are made of." He tilted his head to the side and smiled. It was laced with sadness but Akano wasn't deterred.

"I will." She said with a definitive nod. Unconsciously, the Jean incarnate raised her right hand and placed it on Shinso's which was clenched by his side. Her touch was warm and comfortable, and the sudden contact made him flinch.

Shinso didn't know if it was the gentle touch or her voice, but he felt the anxiety leaving him, like poison being drained. He smiled at her, content to just feel her skin for a minute; then she spoke. "You really did well, you should be proud."

Shinso felt his lower lip quiver in response to her words, his eyes welling up with tears that he struggled to hold back, praying that she wouldn't notice.

"Mm..."

*

_"We're gonna keep righton going with the third match!"_ Present Mic announced enthusiastically in attempt to hype everyone up after the climactic and terribly short match that ensued between Todoroki Shouto and Sero Hanta.

With a match following one that included a recommended student who was also the son of the second ranked and had set the bar _way_ too high after his display of his Quirk's upper limit -that was the giant iceberg he froze Sero with- everyone had been sort of desensitized to the upcoming battles, not paying as close attention as they did with Todoroki.

It had taken a while for all the ice to be removed from the stadium, but after it did, the tournament was back on track.

With a collected sigh, Akano walked out of the tunnel and headed towards the center stage. Her face bore a neutral expression as she saw Aoyama walk up from the other side. Her ears quickly picked up on the Voice hero's introductions.

"_Even though he's wearing a belt, he won't transform! From the hero course, it's Aoyama Yuuga_! Versus--"

The screen above the announcement cube flashed as a snapshot taken from the entrance of the tunnel popped up with the two finalists and their names below, just like the previous contenders. Akano's form displayed no signs of nervousness at the upcoming battle, if anything she looked alarmingly serene, much like her counterpart, Aoyama, who wore an unfaltering closed-lip smile. But her lack of agitation wasn't the only thing the crowd of Pro Heroes and influencers noticed about her appearance.

"So pretty!"

Males and females alike sitting in the bleachers gushed over the yet to be introduced redhead, some even starting to doubt the Nationality of the girl.

"Is she a foreigner? A half?"

A few of the young men were practically slobbering over the underage redhead, without even being ashamed of openly admitting it.

"_She's from the general studies and has nothing to show for just yet, but she's one smart cookie! The one who aced U.A.'s tough entrance exam, Akano Yumi!"_ He finished off their introductions as they walked into the stadium and up the stairs of the tournament ring.

"Suge..." With an elongated "eh" sound, Kirishima Eijirou mumbled to himself, expressing how monumental the girl's academic feats were whilst sitting amongst his fellow classmates in their reserved seating. Though the drooling Mineta sitting behind him was impressed by... other things she possessed.

Sato Rikido turned to look in front of him to Midoriya who had returned from Recovery Girl for his broken finger and joined Uraraka, Iida and the rest in the front row. "By the way, she was on your team, right, Midoriya?"

"Yeah." Izuku gave a definitive nod, his lips lifting at the corners a bit as he recalled how Akano presented him the points that ended up helping them qualify for the final round.

Jiro Kyoka immediately tuned in on the conversation. Ever since the cavalry battle, and the events that transpired when she attempted to attack Midoriya's team with her Earphone Jack, but ended up miserably missing them from her sights, appearing as though they'd vanished into thin air, Jiro couldn't get on with the rest of her day. Hagakure, her previous team leader still wouldn't let her forget it. The dark purple haired girl eventually deduced that it was the Quirk of someone on Midoriya's team, excluding him and Uraraka whose Quirks she was familiar with.

"Heh... What's her quirk then?" She casually asked, raising her brows in curiosity. Since she was sitting in the row before last, she'd raised her voice a few decibels higher than usual, and so the boys and girls sitting beside her were suddenly as interested, turning to Midoriya.

The green haired boy's face brightened as he entered hero-fanboy mode. At the sight, Bakugo clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned away from him, promptly tuning him out. Before he spoke, Izuku tightly held his slightly burnt notebook when his dark green eyes shone with child-like wonder. "Extrasensory perception!"

"What's that exactly?" Jiro asked. A question she came to regret.

"I don't have a lot to go on, since she hadn't fully explained them, so it's kind of a vague terminology that encompasses a wide range of subtypes from Telepathy, Retrocognition, and Telekinesis. I don't know which one. However I noticed that she mainly possesses telepathic abilities with a wide range of applications. You don't often see a lot of Pro heroes with ESP-based Quirks, so I think it's really amazing to witness it in motion!" Midoriya continued on, lost in his speedy mess of words.

'_Wow_...'

Beads of sweat traveled down Jiro's, Sato's, and pretty much everyone else's faces, their jaws slacking. While Uraraka and Iida just sat there with supportive expressions, allowing him to continue. He really was impressive in his own quirky ways.

"Cool, I guess?" Jiro chuckled, without caring to admit that she didn't understand a single word he said.

Down below, the two opponents stepped onto the tournament ring as the hero continued the countdown energetically.

Yumi remained silent, going over her plan of action for this match over and over in her head. Her translucent green eyes scanning her opponent, plotting every opening he had, not physical, though. Her telepathy already in action the moment she'd stepped into the ring, browsing through the boy's brain, to determine what exactly his Quirk was, and what his weaknesses were. It wasn't technically cheating, since she hadn't made any moves yet, waiting until the referee signaled for them to begin.

As she patiently awaited, Akano observed the petite boy, and she was abruptly drawn to the belt wrapped around his torso. In less than a fraction of a second, her eyes grew wide before quickly returning to normal. She inhaled a shaky breath, realizing how similar this boy was to-

"Bonjour." Aoyama greeted.

"Uh... Hi."

He noticed how intently she'd been staring at him, and how taken aback she was when he called her out on it. He closed his eyes, shaking his head as if this was a usual occurrence. "What's wrong? Are you stunned by how fabulous I am?"

"_Ready?_" Present Mic began, slower than usual to build up some suspense for a match no one expected much of.

Yumi somberly shook her head, her bright eyes dulling, while her lips contorted into a small smile, although it was obviously sad in nature. "No, that's not it. Your Quirk just... reminds me of someone's."

_Alex Summers. The deceased older brother of her also dead boyfriend, Scott Summers.__What made Aoyama so similar to Alex was that the latter also used to generate powerful blasts, an ability he had difficulty controlling.Although the energy blast he and his brother emanated from their bodies was slightly different; it acted as waves of energy that heat the air in the path, turning it into plasma in the form of a blast or discharge, with a tell-tale concentric circle pattern. These waves used to emanate from Alex's body in all directions unless he purposefully tried to channel them in a single direction, he usually used to manage to focus his abilities thanks to training and equipment developed by Professor X and Hank McCoy.__That piece of equipment looked an awful lot like the blonde's belt...__And it wasn't just Alex's mutation that resembled him with the boy standing in front of her; he, too, had long blond hair, and a persistently buoyant cheerful smile notching up his cheeks.__Scott idolized him, and he had every right to. Alex was one of the original members of of the X-men. The first class. He was kindhearted, strong-willed, and protective of the people he cared for.__Scott was devastated when he lost his brother in an accident, an explosion that leveled the entirety of the mansion. Although no one else was harmed, and they ended up rebuilding the school soon after, Scott was the one who ended up with the short end of the stick, losing the only family he had. And Jean knew what that was like more than anyone else.__She kept remembering and reminiscencing for a time that could no longer be brought back. And all at once, the dam she had built around herself was cracked at the heart, drowning her in her pent up feelings._

She wanted to shake her head and move on for the moment. But the collected state of mind she'd worked so hard to maintain to allow herself to fight with her full capabilities was slowly crumbling as she remembered the people of her past, feeling her throat tightening as it did.

Yumi knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to control her psychokinetic powers at the given moment because they were controlled by her emotions, easily going off balance with the slightest tip of sorrow, grief or anger. And right now, she was feeling nothing but the two former ones.

"I'm sure they're not as dazzling as moi, though." Aoyama boosted, staring dramatically off into the distance.

Swallowing thickly, Yumi didn't waste any time as she drew her hand closer to her temple, resting it against it. Her intentions to use her telekinesis now gone with any real calm shred of her now. Wrapping herself in a facade of cool detachment, she decided resort to a different plan. She was going to knock her opponent unconscious for the quickest way to end the match. That was the plan she first came up with and the one that felt like the safest option after carefully thinking it through.

Without delay, the Voice hero signaled for the start of the tournament. "_Start!"_

"Aoyama, get her good! Beat her like in those fighting games where their clothes get ripped off!" Mineta cheered for Aoyama for all the wrong reasons, and those in proximity to him scowled at his disgusting perversions.

"What are you, trash?" Jiro frowned.

Meanwhile, from the moment Present Mic announced the beginning of the match, Aoyama brought his arms behind his head, thrusting his hips forward as he aimed a blast from his Navel Laser at _what he perceived to be Akano._ "The early bird gets the worm!"

The bright, sparkly, beam of energy shot from the blonde's belt and traveled speedily, but instead struck into thin air.

Yumi coolly looked to her left to where the laser was shot feet away from her, knowing the illusion of where she was standing she'd casted on Aoyama had worked. She kept her hold on his mind, warping his perception still. She was lucky to find out that his laser couldn't be shot out for more than a second, the weakness giving her an edge that helped her focus. If he were to constantly aim at her, she would've been too preoccupied on moving around to avoid him, and she would eventually lose her focus and with it, her hold on his mind.

Witnesses and spectators stared in confusion, noticing how far off the blonde boy's aim was.

"_Isn't learning how to aim lesson number one when you have a laser, Aoyama?!"_ Present Mic playfully jabbed at Yuuga, chuckling at the end. However, Aizawa who sat next to him in the announcement booth remained silent, noticing that it was Aoyama's opponent's doing.

"What?" Aoyama had finally noticed for himself, his smile still not faltering though. Much to his surprise, the red headed girl had disappeared from where she was standing and popped up again, this time moving closer to him, and he huffed indignantly.

"Take this!"

The Navel Laser kept on discharging one second at a time targeting "Akano's" form, though still unaffecting her as she popped up onto another spot. And nervous sweats broke out on his face.

"_Just what are you doing, Aoyama?!"_ Present Mic shouted out in bewilderment, voicing out the crowds' questions. However, his words fell on deaf ears when the blonde looked down to the cemented floors and he shrieked at the sight. His left foot was suddenly a hair length past the out of bounds line. And so, the boy's eyes widened in surprise as they traveled back up again. '_I'm out of bounds? Non! How?'_ His mind was bombarded with inquires because he knew it wasn't possible. But the more important question was why he referee wasn't flagging him down. Aoyama was in internal conflict on whether to announce his defeat, or wait and see if they would notice or not.

However, what _he_ failed to notice was that Yumi was drawing dangerously near to him. She'd noted how he froze in place, nervous like a deer caught in the headlights and she quickly concluded that her trick worked. '_He stopped. He really does thinks he's out of bounds_...'

In the student section, the class A students saw the whole thing. They saw Aoyama shooting his laser a multitude of times at thin air. They saw his red haired opponent calmly standing there, two of her fingers pressed against her temple as she simply advanced forwards. And they saw him suddenly halting his attacks, anxiously looking between his feet and up to the referee.

"What is he standing around, doing nothing for? She's getting closer!" Mina said, her legs were shaking in place as she and the rest of her classmates watched intently.

"So that's her Quirk?"

Oohs and ahhs erupted from the crowds as they wondered what exactly her Quirk was, leaving them intrigued. The match in of itself couldn't compare to Todoroki's, but everyone watched with a renewed appreciation when they saw Akano showing off her abilities.

Yumi didn't let any of the praise get to her head, since she was beginning to struggle with her telepathic ability as she walked up to the befuddled boy until she came face to face with him. Releasing a heavy sigh, she came to feel kind of bad as she stood there in front of him, disorienting his senses, but it was all for the sake of a goal she had to reach. So, Yumi then extended both her hands towards him, resting them on the sides of his head to accomplish the feat she'd planned on.

'_Go to sleep._' She commanded, and with a blink of an eye, Aoyama lost consciousness, his body limply flopping onto the ground.

The red haired teen knew that compared to Professor Xavier, her telepathy was considered subpar, she couldn't possibly put someone to sleep, or even _properly_ go through their heads without her being this close to them. And since she was clearly out of practice, she was just glad that it worked.

"_Aoyama was knocked out?! What's up with these general ed kids?! They're crazy scary_!" Present Mic shouted from the cube. His eyes were wide with shock that the girl below would easily subdue the Heroics student.

As if finally noticing the hundreds of sets of eyes focused onto her, Yumi looked up from her opponent as she scratched her cheek. "He's alright, I just put him to sleep." She said, directing her words to Midnight and Cementoss who'd gotten concerned at how abruptly Aoyama had fainted.

"Aoyama-kun's out of commission! Akano-san advances to the second round!" And at Midnight's declaration, the crowds erupted in loud cheers.

The large screen showed Jean's face alone this time, with virtual confetti bursting around her stoic face. And the sight made her classmates prouder than ever. "As expected of our Akano-sama!"

"Akano-san is incredible!"

The purple haired seat-mate of hers heard all of their words of merriments, a smile ghosting on his lips as he slowly nodded, agreeing with them. "Yeah..."

Shinso then looked around him, his ears picking up on all the words of praise the Pro Heroes exclaimed as they stared at Akano in shock.

"Amazing!"

"He fainted!"

"What did she do?"

"Is she really a general ed student?!"

"_Akano's easy victory is indisputable_!" Present Mic was ecstatic at the positive remarks, finally able to feel them liven up after Todoroki's match. As they watched the young Akano began making her way back inside, he heard his fellow commentator mumbling something to himself.

"Hmm..."

"What is it, Eraser?" Hizashi asked, lowering his voice down as he leaned away from the microphone.

"Unlike Shinso, she hadn't originally applied for the hero course... But she also submitted a request for a transfer." Aizawa responded with a gruff tone as he looked down at Akano Yumi's information sheet. He had someone compile individual stats of each student of the final sixteen. And the Erasure Hero didn't know if she never applied because she knew they'd be fighting faux villains, since her telepathic Quirk -although powerful- was suited against other people only. Nonetheless, she seemed like someone to keep an eye on during her matches.

However, the underground hero was not the only one Akano Yumi had caught the attention of.

Todoroki was leaning against the wall towards the next tunnel entrance, watching from behind all the seated audience with a contemplating look.

**A/N:-*****Otsukaresama desu/Otsukare**: expresses the appreciation of someone's hard work. The closest English translation would be "thank you for your hard work", "good work" or more simply saying that "you've worked hard".

**Okay I know I mentioned earlier that Aoyama looked like Alex, and I know that in the movies, there's basically no way that's true But in the X-men Evolution animation, he looks an awful lot like him, especially his hairstyle. Honestly I was surprised to find the resemblance between Aoyama and Alex.****You could see it here:-**

vignette.wikia./xmenevo/images/2/25/Profile-_Alex.png/revision/latest?cb=20120817060905


	19. Seventeen

**A/N:-**

**Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well and just keeping it safe from Corona!**

**I was thinking that since this site doesn't allow for me to reply to your reviews, I would do it at the beginning or ending of each upcoming chapter! So if you guys have any questions about this story or even opinions thay need some answering, don't be shy to go for it! ️**

**I don't know if you guys know, but I have this story published over on Quotev as well. It's the same story but I have pictures and fanarts of my Jean/Yumi posted over there if you wanna check it out. It's under the same title! **

**And to take the initiative, I would like to start off with:**

**Jose19: I'm actually flattered that you think this OC of mine deserves the best, and don't worry about Shinso because he is not our Yumi's endgame Her future partner is definitely in class 1-A**

**Earl John Diawatan: About your Wolverine related question, and whether he'd make an appearance in this story, I'd have to say that I've never really thought about it, considering the fact that he passed away in the movie "Logan" along with Professor X. Also if he were alive, it wouldn't make that much of a difference since he's all the way over in America and he didn't even meet Jean in this timeline (since she passed away in this story in her teenage years before she even met him)**

**Temparo: I know it's an extremely late reply but I need you to know that your analytic and nice review has fueled me on to write further into this story, so thank you so much! And also, to clear your confusion, there will not be a harem/boy toy conflict going on in the future, and when Yumi will come to terms with her emotional problems, there will be a guarantee that she'll have a single love interest/boyfriend. In other words, it's not her fault that she's popular**

**JuggernautJJ: Your guess about exploring the history of the X-men after Jean's death in future chapters is very correct, so make sure to tune in when I do!**

**And enjoy the chapter! **

**~~~**

Winning the first round and advancing to the next had been a great move on Akano Yumi's part to showcase her worthiness of transferring to the hero department. Even as she roamed the interior of the first year stadium, she could still vividly remember the words of awe Pro Heroes and students alike had muttered when she easily knocked her opponent unconscious, and she hoped that she had made her parents proud as they watched her match.

Treading lightly across the long corridor, the redhead directed her path towards the nearest vending machine to get something to drink. Since she'd felt parched and in desperate need to replenish her energy after her one-on-one battle, although it wasn't as taxing as the cavalry battle where she'd sweated her ass off due to the combination of running, planning, and overusing her telepathy.

Of course Yumi wasn't naive as to think the rest of her upcoming matches would be as undemanding as this one. She was well aware of the presence of other kids who possessed vast capabilities and had a surprisingly good grasp on their applications for their age. One of whom refused to leave her mind, and it was none other than Todoroki Shouto.

Yumi couldn't forget when she watched his match just before starting her. It was on the TV within the waiting room, but all the same memorable. People had been too shocked to cheer for the winner, and seeing it was hardly the right response for his opponent's dignity, one of the Pro Heroes who felt bad for Sero Hanta started to shout an encouragement for him. 'DON'T MIND!' And immediately, more followed. As Todoroki walked up to Sero to thaw the ice that he had created, Akano wasn't able to see the expression on his face from the angle the cameras filmed him, but without looking, she could tell how sorrowful he truly was.

Ever since then, her brain had worked tirelessly to attempt to figure out what she could do to help, since she knew exactly what went on inside his head after she'd accidentally barged inside his head during the lunch break.

'_All I could do for him at this point is look at him from a far_.' She had told herself, and just like that, all thoughts of him had came to a halt before she'd went on with her match against Aoyama.

But all of that went out the window when she saw _him_ off all people standing in front of the vending machine, grabbing a bottle of water for himself.

Akano's eyes slightly widened, an action that portrayed her surprise of seeing him of all people at the given moment. When he turned to her and his gaze met with hers, Todoroki's face looked neutral, and if he were taken aback to see her, he didn't show it.

"You know we should really stop bumping into each other like this." Yumi bemusedly hummed to herself, choosing to casually converse with the dual haired boy as she walked closer to him, eventually stopping by the machine and browsing for a drink herself.

Todoroki was grimly quiet, his eyes were stuck on her, it was as if he was trying to scan and analyze every moves she made, and she sensed it, adding to her discomfort.

"Congratulations on advancing to the second round." She spoke again, trying to break the ice of the conversation that was much similar to his right side.

Without even sparing her a polite 'thank you', Shouto narrowed his eyes at her before speaking. "You're the girl from Midoriya's team..." He began, referring to her as that not because he didn't know her by name, but to establish that he didn't forget that she was on the team opposing to his in the cavalry battle. '_The one who stole my headband_...'

"Yes." Yumi replied, and she realized that this was the first actual conversation the two of them had. When they had bumped into each other before, there was nothing more than a few lingering gazes and a brief exchange of words that bared no context between them.

Todoroki grip tightened around the bottle of water. "I don't really know you all that well, but I can tell this much after your match,"

Her brilliant spring eyes locked with his mismatched ones in a serious stare-down. She gave him an expectant look, although she knew deep down what he'd meant. "And what is that?"

"You're hiding something... Holding back." He stated in a matter of fact, leaving no room for argument. His words resonated deeply within Akano, taking her by surprise. And she wondered if it had been visible to everyone as it was to him as she kept watching him. Like always, there was a distant impassiveness in his heterochromatic eyes, but Yumi learned to see past it. And when she did, she could see the despair and sadness that pooled over in them.

She heard him release a frustrated huff before he began to pivot his body around, silently announcing that he was done with her and this conversation, but what she said next made him halt his movements.

"Can't the same be said for you, as well?"

He looked dumbfounded for about a quarter of a second before he quickly returned to his mask-like facies.

Yes, he was right; she was hiding her true strength. But she was holding back out of fear, while he didn't use the other half of his Quirk out of sheer stubbornness and hatred towards his father, Endeavor.

She was different. Or so she tried to convince herself.

'_No... I'm just as bad as he is. I really am a hypocrite_.'

Even though she'd been blessed with tremendous power, she's subconsciously always avoided trying to display them. When she awakened to memories of her previous life, she'd realized how dangerous her powers truly were.

'_I was the monster in every single one of my closets_.'

Akano hadn't realized that her aversion to using her powers had become a complex. No matter how many times she decided to use it and move past what she'd convinced herself, she would eventually try to find excuses to keep holding herself back. Just like she had just done in her match against Aoyama.

Yumi hadn't noticed that over the years, she was slowly, but surely, becoming what the Professor had been representing for her back in her days as Jean Grey. An anchor for suppression.

_"**You have to control it. What you have is a gift, but it doesn't change the fact that it can hurt people. You must keep it in check, Jean. For your sake and for the people you care about**." Charles had told her over and over again when he raised her as a child. There was an incidents where she used her telekinetic powers to entertain the other kids in the mansion in desperate attempts to make friends. When he caught her carelessly moving objects and even people around with the power of her mind, he immediately stopped her._

_She didn't understand why he kept holding her back, but back then she didn't know that he had known the truth of what she had unconsciously done to her parents_.

Akano Yumi knew what she truly was. She was flawed and broken, she stitched herself back together, but she couldn't forget all the bad she'd done. Yumi didn't want to take out her grief, anger, trauma, or anything between on her parents or anyone else.

So she suppressed it all, just like Shouto had.

Yumi remembered when she was fighting in the cavalry battle with Midoriya and Ochako, how she insisted that they leave the defense to her. She remembered how they entrusted everything they had riding on this festival to her after she'd said, "_I, too, am trying to prove myself. So you can trust me." _

'_Back then, was I really being completely sincere when I said that_?'

A wave of silence engulfed the entirety of the corridor. With Shouto's gaze turning colder the longer seconds passed. Yumi shifted on the soles of her feet, definitely not from nerves under his scrutinizing gaze, but from the weird constricting sensation bubbling inside of her ever since she saw and felt his memories, and it only kept growing in his presence.

"Um.." She sighed, feeling an immense need to console the boy, because she'd felt what he'd felt -as brief as it was. "A-are you okay?" She gently queried, her forehead wrinkling with concern, and the question startled him for a moment.

"What's it you?" He bit back, his previous harsh glare losing its bite, but the anger that welled up inside him after he ran into his father was still there.

"Well, watching you fight, you looked really..." The redhead trailed off, frowning. '-_really sad_.'

"Let me tell you this," He began, shuffling closer to her, his height leaving him looming over her with a few centimeters. "meddling in other people's business, there's nothing more loathsome."

'_Weren't you the one who approached me first?_' She would've chuckled at his own contradiction if it hadn't been for the intense atmosphere that surrounded the both of them.

"Is that so?" She mused. "As long as we're saying stuff then hear this, too."

Swallowing thickly, Jean knew she'd be veering into very personal, very deep uncomfortable territory for both her and Todoroki, and one she really didn't want to be treading, but it was too late for that.

"Suppressing a part of yourself to spite someone will only hurt you and the people you care about in the process." She said with a sad smile gracing her lips and cheeks. Yumi spoke from experience; Jean's way of life had led to her eventual doom, and many others. People who she had been proud to call her family.

Bewilderment blinked across Todoroki's face as Yumi softly spoke, her voice soothing.

"What are you talking about?" He gruffly asked, stepping back a few paces.

There was something far away, pained, and _too familiar_ in her eyes, something in the way she held herself, in the way her bright green eyes darkened every now and then, and Todoroki didn't like it. Not one bit.

She was like him.

'_You're wrong, Professor_.' She regretfully shook her head within her mind.

"I-it's okay," Yumi's voice wavered with emotion she had do idea was there. Emotion that she felt had been waiting to escape for this exact moment. She decided to not fight against it and instead let those emotions be free. '_The words that I longed to hear were...'_

"It's okay for you to be who you were meant to be."

Those words rang through Todoroki's ears like wind chimes. His mind swinging slowly, his mouth dried. "What?" He asked, chary and bewildered as he looked at the girl before him.

"There's so much to you than you think you know, not just pain and anger, or even guilt." Yumi asserted, a benevolent smile morphed into her features. "So _don't_ let it consume you." She maintained her assuring look, patting his shoulders once before parting from him.

A muscle popped in Shouto's locked jaw and his eyes held a mix of sadness and astonishment as he watched her walk away. He then abruptly slammed his fist against the vending machine with a very discrete sniffle, exhaling sharply.

"What... was that?"

*

"Yu-chan!" Uraraka jumped up from her seat in gleeful surprise once she saw her friends standing near the edge of the last row seats. She'd noticed her when Sero openly -and loudly- gasped upon seeing Akano, unofficially announcing her presence.

At the moment, Ochako's brown irises weren't the only ones set on Yumi's form, alongside hers was the majority of class A's attention.

"Hey, Ochako." Yumi awkwardly raised her her hand in greeting. She had made her way to the reserved seatings for the U.A. Freshmen, only to find out that they were only available for the two hero courses, which were class A and B. The rest of the students were scattered amongst the bleachers, which although was a thrilling experience for them to sit surrounded by Pro Heroes, it was a disadvantage for Yumi to shuffle between people every time she had to get up for her own matches, and in comparison, the reserved seatings were so much closer to the waiting rooms.

As she took in the curious glances sent her way, Yumi recognized some of them as people she'd faced in the cavalry battle. There was the invisible girl and the other one with the earphone jacks attached to her ears that was on her team. Sitting in front of them to their left was another one who stood out due to her pink complexion, and behind her was the boy with the electricity-based Quirk that was on Todoroki's team. His amber eyes were glued onto her the most, only falling behind to a very short boy who had grapes for hair. However, the one she'd actually noticed first was Bakugou Katsuki, but he in no way acknowledged nor cared for her presence, as he was just sitting there looking ahead, with a permanent scowl on his face.

"Sorry for the disturbance, I was told that I should wait here since my class doesn't have a specified seating area." She declared, justifying her being there.

"_Hmph_, for good reason." Aoyama snubbed, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a huff. Yumi chose to ignore his comment and instead focused on Uraraka who was waving her down to the front row.

"What are you talking about?! I'm so glad to have you here! Come sit next to m, Yu-chan!" Said girl did as told, advancing forwards and sitting on Ochako's right, greeting Midoriya as she did, but he seemed to be all too focused on his notebook to reply. Only as she sat down, she noticed that she came to miss the fourth match during her venture inside the stadium.

"Congrats on advancing to the second round!" The brunette grinned and clapped feet hands together.

"Thanks, I was lucky." Akano said with a dismissive tone. "I'm sure luck had nothing to do with it, you were so cool and calm during all of it."

"You two sure are close. Ribbit." Asui Tsuyu barged into the two's conversation as she leaned forwards from her seat that was situated right behind theirs. Yumi and Ochako flinched a bit there in surprise, but quickly turned back to reply to her inference.

"Mmm, Tsuyu-chan! We met on the day of the entrance exam and we've been friends ever since, right?" Akano would've quickly nodded to Ochako's chirpy declaration if it weren't for the the chill that ran up her spine, as two sets of eyes were unyielding on watching her.

"Oi, Kaminari!" Mineta whispered to his partner in crime from the back.

"What?" Kaminari asked, his fair brows perking in anticipation.

"Check her out." The dwarf of a pervert cackled as he not so subtly pointed at Akano who'd been conversing with Uraraka and Asui. He practically had to wipe the drool trickling down his chin as he ogled at her.

"Yeah, I've been thinking this for while, but she's really pretty!" Kaminari beamed with a toothy grin, his flirtatious side already at work. "Maybe I should ask her out."

"That's not just it..." Mineta shook his head with closed eyes, adding suspense to his words as if he were to impart wisdom. Once his eyelids snapped open, he revealed his bloodshot eyes and gestured for the blonde to take a real look at her. "That glamorous figure! So tall and slender! And yet with big boobs! Seductive red hair! Her sexy and fierce look! What a killer combination!" He had unknowingly turned up the volume of his voice from excitement, and that drew the attention of those sitting next to him, but he didn't mind, his cheeks flushing with all the perverted thoughts swarming in his head.

Then, tears of frustration began to well up in his eyes. "My only regret is that I didn't get to see her in the cheerleading uniform!"

"You really are scum." Jiro hissed with disgust. But her scowling face turned to that of relief when she realized Akano was too immersed in her conversation to mind the little perv.

"Nice to meet you, Mi-chan, you can call me Tsuyu-chan." Asui introduced herself with a smile, the short band framing her face swinging as she tilted her head to the side. "Okay?" Akano returned the gesture with a polite grin noting how friendly the green haired girl was. But what swept her by surprise was the nickname she'd casually given her. '_That's what my dad calls me.'_

"I'm Ashido Mina by the way!" The pink skinned girl quickly hopped upfront excitedly, and grinning widely.

"Oh, hi." Bright green eyes quickly traveled to Mina, and she took in the appearance of pinkette closely, her most noticeable features were her square eyes, with black sclera and light yellow irises eyes, they somehow resembled those of a racoon, not that she would say it out aloud. And she also had two thin, pale yellow horns protruding from between her fluffy and unruly hair, which was a pleasant pink color. "By the way, your fight earlier was really awesome!" She added, gushing in a friendly manner.

"_Hmph_!" Aoyama snubbed once more due to Mina's words, and Yumi's eyes slightly widened at the childish action, but she didn't express any discomfort.

"Hey, cut it out, Aoyama." Sato warned his classmate since he was being rude.

Ashido giggled. "Don't mind him, he's just super bitter that he lost so soon." She said. Just when Yumi was about to say that she didn't mind, and that she understood why he was doing so, an unbelievably loud voice boomed from behind.

"HEY, SHUT UP! IF YOU'RE HERE TO CHIT CHAT THEN DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU DAMN EXTRAS!" Bakugo bellowed, his patience finally running out due to their chatting. He just wanted some damned peace and quiet before his match as he observed other people's battles. He huffed angrily, kicking his leg down from his lap, satisfied with the silence.

Puzzlement was drawn on her features as Yumi took in Bakugo's outburst. His temper really was as explosive as his Quirk, she realized. '_Yeesh. Take a chill pill, why don't you_.' She rolled her eyes at his demeanor before averting her gaze back at the arena down below, not noticing the glare the ash blonde had sent her.

*

The match between Hatsume and Iida ended up taking almost fifteen minutes because the support course girl used Iida as showboat for her wonderful babies, aimed at the support companies watching. The pink haired girl was good at hard selling, and after all of her inventions were extensively presented, she voluntarily walked out of the ring. It was quite unfair to the earnest boy to be played a fool and then given an automatic win, but Hatsume had no interest in the tournament in of itself.

Contrasting with the fifth match, the sixth one ended within a minute of beginning. Yumi had paid special attention to that match in specific, tuning out everyone's commentaries as she focused onto the fight, because she knew whoever won in it, would be facing her in the second round. Because Yaoyorozu's Quirk takes a long period of time to make more elaborate and strong weapons, she was no match for Tokoyami's swift and powerful attacks. He didn't even move from his spot as "Dark Shadow's" reach was able to push Momo out of bounds.

"Tokoyami's too amazing. I can't believe he forced her out of bounds just by focusing his attacks on the shield Yaoyorozu made." She heard Midoriya comment, his eyes and tone of voice a clear display of his fascination. Ojiro who'd been sitting behind the green haired boy overheard him. "He was trying not to hurt her? That's how easy it was for him, huh? She must feel really frustrated..."

Yumi silently agreed with the blonde, tailed boy as she watched the obviously depressed girl from afar.

After Midnight announced Tokoyami's victory, Yaoyorozu was gloomy as she walked off the stage, her head hanging low. Only then, did Akano's attention was drawn somewhere else up ahead. She had to squint to make sure but there was no mistaking him from a distance, she noticed Todoroki leaning against the wall towards he next tunnel entrance, watching from behind all the all the seated audience with a contemplating look.

"Next up is Kirishima's match against that guy from class B, right?" Sero started, trying to uplift the mood after they all saw Yaoyorozu lose to Tokoyami. As per his hopes, they started engaging in a discussion as they awaited for the match to commence.

"Don't they have similar Quirks?" Mina noted, her brows furrowing as she recalled the incident at obstacle race where the two of them survived being buried under the fallen Robo Infernos. Bringing a wondering finger to her chin, Tsuyu looked up thoughtfully. "Then how would we know who's gonna win, ribbit?"

"That's a tough one..." Uraraka said, and then she looked between Midoriya and Akano, one still scribbling in his notebook and the other staring off into the distance, respectively.

"Yu-chan, what do you think?" She asked the redhead, grabbing her attention, but she repeated the question once more when she seemed a bit clueless to the inquiry.

Nibbling on her lower lip, a calculative look appeared on Yumi's features as she contemplated an answer. "I heard this story once that a long time ago, there was a man selling a spear that could pierce any shield and a shield that could withstand any spear and when they met in battle, both the greatest spear and the greatest shield _shattered_." She stated casually with a monotonous voice, and due to the relative silence, everyone from class A heard her and began panicking.

"That's bad!" Kaminari shouted. And in turn, Mina side-hugged Asui who sat next to her. "What are we gonna do, Tsuyu-chan?! I don't want Kirishima to shatter!"

"Not necessarily." Yumi argued, and all eyes turned to the her, their curious looks instigated her continuation. "If one of them could outsmart the other that would be a different story, but it'll be a problem if they'll be both diving in headfirst."

"Woah." Uraraka mumbled from beside her, and a lot of her classmates held a similar reaction. Her analytic skills were resembling those of Midoriya's, and that intimidated her just a bit more. Not only was she smart, but she had a good grasp on her Quirk, enabling her to easily win her first match. Ochako didn't know how someone like Yumi wasn't in the heroics course and she was. A huge insecure chunk of her wanted to ask her to switch places with her because she felt that Akano would do a much better job at being a hero than her. Clenching her fists that were rested on her lap, her lips formed a tight line as she shook her head from those thoughts. She couldn't help it, what with her match against Bakugo coming up, her insecurities were catching up to her.

Midoriya grinned widely at Akano's assumptions, as he started shuffling through his Hero data notebook. "So it's a battle of stamina then?"

Yumi dedicated an affirmative nod towards him. "Yes- Hey, is that a sketch of me?"

The curly haired boy replied in a rush, his lax smile morphing into a nervous one. "N-no, well, yes. But-! I was just curious as to how your Quirk exactly w-works. I don't have a lot to go on, so I'm really fascinated by your Quirk. Could you please tell me in detail?" He said, clicking his pen in anticipation.

After she followed with his stammering words, Yumi perked her ginger brows at the shorter boy before giving him a slight teasing smirk. "Maybe after the sport festival is over, can't give away my secrets techniques."

"Th-that's right. Sorry..." Izuku apologized timidly, his left hand flying to nervously rub at the nape of his neck. "It's okay." She reassured.

"Huh? Where did Uraraka-san go?" Yumi's eyes quickly flew to Ochako's seat in reaction to Midoriya's question, and they slightly widened when she realized that it was empty. "We must've not noticed her getting up..."

Midoriya deeply frowned, his head turning to look around the booth for his brown haired friend and he halted when he realized that Bakugou was also missing. The fact that the two's match would be commencing right after the upcoming one, explained why Uraraka silently left.

"E-excuse me!" He blurted before jumping from his seat and began sprinting out of the seating area, leaving a somewhat puzzled Yumi.

*

As per Akano's assumption, the seventh match ended up with neither of the boys becoming favorable to win. She knew it was over just when Kirishima and Tetsutetsu sent each other one last punch that sent the both of them to the ground.

_"The two guys with the same Quirks!_

_Tetsutetsu versus Kirishima! A head-to-head fistfight! The winner is-- Both contestants down!"_ Present Mic led on with great enthusiasm from the cube as everyone looked to the chief Umpire for her judgment. "It's a draw!In the case of a draw, after they recover, the winner will be determined by a simple contest, like arm wrestling."

As the health bots wheeled the two unconscious players off to go to Recovery Girl, the audience all cheered with awe at the two's equal abilities and passion.

Things grew eerily quiet in class A's seating area as they awaited for the eighth match to start, especially with Yumi who rested on her seat. She came to realize that Ochako had abruptly left to prepare for her own battle.

Akano lifted one of her lengthy legs to cross with the other one as she blankly thought of her brunette friend, not minding her surroundings.

Unsurprisingly, Kaminari had gotten up and slowly made his way to the red-haired girl in hopes to make a move on her, but as he walked towards her, he was interrupted when he caught sight of of another blonde guy peaking through the partition between class B and their own.

"HAHA!" Monoma obnoxiously cackled from his side, grabbing everyone's attention, including Yumi's.

A surprised shriek forced out of Kaminari's mouth as he met with the scowling Monoma Neito, bracing a hand on her chest to quell his startled pulse. "What the heck?! He scared the bejesus outta me!"

Monoma smirked, though the expression overlapped with another hidden feature that was desperation. Desperation for them to surpass those arrogant guys from class A.

Sero and Mina who had gotten a taste of the guy's attitude as part of Team Bakugo earlier, just stared at him with a deadpan. Others who had no idea who the hell he was like Jiro, Asui, Hagakure , Ojiro, Koda, Tokoyami, and Shouji blinked at him owlishly, drops of sweat traveling down some of their cheeks.

"Just so you know, next time is not gonna end in a draw. Tetsutetsu will win, we class B will have an overwhelming victory at the sports festival and then it's over for all of you! AHAHAHAHA!" He finished off, looking upwards and spreading his arms out dramatically.

Sero raised a brow at the clearly demented boy. He was really difficult to deal with. "Huh? Seriously, what is up with you?"

"Oh! Is that the guy you told me about?" Kaminari asked his black haired friend who merely nodded in answer.

Yumi decided that she'd stayed quiet for far too long, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance before she made a jab at the periwinkle-purple eyed boy.

"Didn't they teach you in grade school not to pride yourself in other people's achievements?" She shook her head at him to show to him just how juvenile he was being by bragging about his classmate's likely victory.

"Akano! This has nothing to do with you!" Monoma fumed, noticing her presence, and growling when he did. To add to his displeasure, the girl he was talking to simply turned her back on him.

Yumi faced the boys and girls sitting behind her as she shuffled in her front row seat. "Don't mind him, he just gets off on bothering others just to alleviate his sense of inferiority."

"Wha-?!"

Sero and Kaminari started laughing full belly laughs at both Akano's wording and Monoma's reaction to them.

With an exaggerated eye roll, Monoma directed all of his insults to her. "You have a bad personality as always."

"I don't wanna hear that from you of all people." Yumi sharply exhaled before she replied.

Everyone just sort of looked back and forth between the two, as they exchanged insults. Well, Akano hadn't yet stooped to his level, only deflecting whatever he said back to him. "You... know each other?" Mina hesitantly asked.

Sighing, Yumi looked back to the pink female, her face neutral. "We went to the same middle school."

"Unluckily for me!"

~

_In the fall of her second year of middle school, a love confession had come to Yumi from a rather unexpected source._

_The second year of middle school usually kicks off the most sensitive period of one's life, commonly known as adolescence. During it, some would hone their bodies through sports, some work hard on their studies, others polish their Quirks, and some even fall for the opposite sex, getting a taste of bittersweet love. Unfortunately for Monoma Neito, he was of the latter._

_"I've always liked you, Akano." Jaw clenched tight as if he was wincing, Monoma confessed his feelings towards Akano in the empty classroom, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. A furious blush adorned his cheeks, and his voice squeaked at the end of his phrase, earning a soft sigh from her._

_"Sorry, but I have no feelings of romance towards you." Yumi blatantly rejected him with a slight frown. _

~

Ever since then, Neito started talking about Yumi behind her back. Badmouthing her to others about how she was arrogant and condescending, feeling like she was superior to all of them. Clearly, he didn't handle rejection well and continued to antagonize up until this point.

"Tch." Monoma clicked his tongue, mentally cringing at her coldness back then. That's why he hated people who think they're better than everyone else. Just when he was about to shout out another insult, Kendo appeared from behind him and served a karate chop against the nape of his neck, immobilizing him.

"That's enough!" She yelled, earning a light giggle from Yumi.


	20. Eighteen-Part I

**A/N:**

**Hey you guys! Long time no update XD sorry yall, my vacation days are behind me and now I'm studying 24/7. I can't even believe I had time to whisk this together... I hope this wasn't too boring, since it seems like a filler BUT I had to write it so you could see how other people's fights are affecting our red haired telepath**

**JuggernautJJ: I almost cried after reading your review in the last chapter! Your analysis was so accurate and on point regarding the the idea of a patriarchal society holding women back. Not just with Jean Grey, but with other big female superheroes and I just loved to read your point of view so thanks!**

**Don't forget to lemme know what you guys think!**

**~**

"Akano-san!" From behind, Yumi heard Midoriya speed-walking towards the front row, reappearing after he ran off to catch up to Uraraka.

"Oh, hi," She greeted back as the boy caught his breath, and she noted that he was clutching the same burnt notebook in his hand. It's one that he seemed to have with him throughout the individual battles, filled with hero information and sketches of battle strategies, and for some reason included her, as well.

"It looks like I missed Kirishima-kun's match... But ah! I heard that your prediction about it ending in a draw came true!" He rambled on with a look of awe. "Uraraka-san's match is starting soon."

"Oh..." she replied with a tilt of her head and a slight frown. "Ochako was real nervous when I last saw her. I'm glad she's okay now."

The male nodded with his eyes shining with respect and determination for the mentioned girl. "I sketched a rough battle plan for Uraraka-san to use against Kacchan, but she's determined to fight with her own strength. She really is amazing."

"I agree." Yumi said, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she watched Midoriya sit down beside her, followed by Iida who greeted her and rested beside his friend.

"Next might be the most disturbing match-up." Tsuyu stated, a pout hidden behind her stoic features.

"I almost don't wanna watch..." Jiro said with a shudder.

"_The eight and last match of the first round! He was kind of famous in middle school! With a face only a mother could love! From the hero course, it's Bakugou Katsuki!"_ Present Mic announced as the two classmates finally walked out to the field. From the side that Yumi was facing, she could see the expression on Bakugou's face and she had to agree when she saw that weird gritting scowl that took permanent residence on his face.

'_Uraraka-san... Do your best!_' Midoriya wished the best for the brunette, his lips forming a tight line.

Yumi, who'd accidentally heard his thoughts, offhandedly replied to him. "I'm sure she will."

"Ah..." With a flinch, he looked back to her, feeling a droplet of sweat forming on his cheek. He didn't know if he liked having someone peering into his mind whenever they pleased.

_"Versus-she's also the one I'm rooting for! From the hero course, it's Uraraka Ochaco!"_

"He's gotta stop picking favorites so casually. That's borderline bullying the dude..." Akano hummed softly at the hero's blatant comment. Midoriya looked at her with slight bewilderment and she tilted her head in question. "What?"

"N-nothing, really."

_"Eighth match, start!"_

Bakugou's eyes narrowed as he stared at his opponent.

"You're the one that makes things float, right, Round Face?" he asked. He only recognized her because she always hung around Midoriya; there might've been a previous time that they were opponents, too, but he didn't care too much about that. He needed to win in order for him to advance to the next round, so he would never hold back. "If you're going to withdraw, do it now. You won't get off with just an 'ouch'."

The girl only glared back at him with those determined round eyes. And as soon as Present Mic announced to start, she ran towards him with her body strategically low to the ground.

"Midoriya-kun. What was the strategy you were going to tell Uraraka earlier for her to use against Bakugo?" Iida asked as watched Uraraka charging towards the ash blonde.

"It wasn't much, really." Midoriya almost shrugged once he looked down to his notebook. "Kacchan's strong. In a real close combat fight, he has almost no openings, and the more he moves, the more he sweats, making his Explosion Quirk stronger. He can use the blasts from his explosions to move around in the air, but if Uraraka touches Kacchan and uses her Quirk to make him float, then she would have the upper hand. That's why... the first thing Uraraka should do is-" And before he could finish, Akano said it for him.

"-a swift attack."

Midoriya nodded. "Mm."

"Withdrawing isn't a choice!" Ochako shouted. Bakugou raised his right palm, ready to counter whatever she was going to do. Sparks igniting on the palm of his right hand.

"Then, die!"

Uraraka neared him and zeroed in on his torso with her arms out. '_Here! If I dodge here...!'_

A giant blast blew up before her and the impact threw her body back several feet as black smoke littered with fiery orange sparks surrounded her. "This is no good," She blocked the flying debris from her face with her arms as she looked around the black smoke. "Even if I knew about it, I couldn't react in time!"

_'Deku-kun and Yu-chan can always turn things around when things get rough-'_ She thought as she pinpointed Bakugou's location. Using the smoke screen as an opportunity to conceal her body, she quickly got into action. _'I have to do the same to__ be on the same level as them!'_

"Don't underestimate me!" Bakugou shouted as he swung his right hand towards the emerging figure within the smoke. He slammed his palm down, expecting to restrain the girl, however he was met with only fabric. Under his hand was a U.A. girl's gym jacket, but nothing else.

_"Oh, she made her jacket float and sent it over there?!"_ Present Mic explained with an impressed tone. The girl was now behind the blonde. _"She did it in an instant, too!"_

'_If I make him float now-!'_ Uraraka was yet again so close to touching the blonde to activate her Quirk, but his reflexes were so quick that he immediately sent a blast to propel her back once more. And she stopper herself from tumbling further away, but she was already trying again.

"Too slow!" Bakugo growled before dealing another explosion her way.

She then proceeded to come up at him from the other side. "Take this!"

**BOOM!**

One more eruption. And another.

Faces paled for Midoriya, Iida, and the majority of the students in the class A section. And although it was hard for Yumi to watch her friend get hurt, she couldn't help the smirk her lips formed once she figured out what the crafty brown eyed girl had up her sleeve. However, it seemed the rest sitting in her vicinity were yet to notice.

"Ochaco-chan..." Tsuyu choked out, her lower lip trembling in fear for Uraraka's safety. Jiro Kyoka shook her head before using her hands to shield her eyes from the fight. "I can't watch!"

Yumi heard them all complaining in their own way, but the weirdest comment by far belonged to the grape haired dwarf who'd hinted at Bakugou's supposed 'sadism'. "Bakugou, don't tell me... your tastes run in _that_ direction..."

**BOOM**!

"I'm not done yet!"

Bakugou swept his arm at the incoming girl once more as she relentlessly got up after every one of his blasts to try again. His sharp eyes and ears were intently tracking her every movement as he sent more explosions that blew up both the cement from the ground to force the girl to recoil back.

And all around them, the crowd was watching with horror and dread for the 'poor' girl.

"Hey, shouldn't you stop this?!" One of them said as he called out to Cementoss, who was standing as a proctor for the battles.

"Yeah, isn't this going too far?"

"It's like he's toying with her!"

"I can't watch..."

"Hey!" Another stood up with anger as he addressed Bakugou. "How can you say you want to be a hero like that?! If there's such a huge difference in your abilities, then hurry up and send her out of bounds!"

Akano frowned at the hero sitting just a section across from them who spoke up about the battle. She honestly didn't see anything wrong with it, especially not to the extent of it being stopped. True, the blasts that kept coming Ochako's way were unsightly and hard to watch, but that was because Bakugou was wary of her every move. He saw her as a formidable opponent to watch out for. And in a way, it showed that he respected her as an individual. So, the Pro Hero's suggestion about him toying with Uraraka was absolutely preposterous.

"Is he really a Pro Hero?" She asked loudly with incredulity. Besides her, Midoriya, Iida and the rest were slightly taken aback at her outburst, and if she was being honest, so was she.

The woman sitting beside the outraged hero also stood up and gave a disapproving frown. "That guy is bullying and playing around with the poor girl!"

_'Playing around? He may be brash with huge anger management issues, but he's not playing around.'_ Yumi continued to doubt the status of those heroes since they couldn't see how seriously Bakugou was taking Uraraka's attacks. Furthermore, it was also inconsiderate of them for thinking that Uraraka was just some helpless girl.

"They're idiots if they haven't figured it out yet," She spoke out of frustration and her words triggered the confusion of the fellow first years in her vicinity, but a string of boos surrounded the bleachers from the previous heroes' comments.

"Can't you see he's going too far?"

"Stop the bullying!"

"Seriously, why hasn't he been disqualified?!"

_"There's booing from part of the crowd..."_ Present Mic relayed when he drew his attention towards that section. _"But honestly, I also feel the-"_ The mic was suddenly slapped out of the Voice hero's hands as Aizawa pushed him away with his elbow. _"Ow! What're ya doing?!"_

_"Was that a Pro saying he's playing around? How many years have you been a Pro?"_ Aizawa demanded. _"If you're saying that with a straight face, there's no point in you watching anymore. Just go home and look into changing careers! Bakugou is being careful because he's acknowledged the strength of his opponent who has made it this far. It's because he's doing everything he can to win that he can't go easy on her or let his guard down."_

The crowd humbled down at the Erasure hero's voice of serious disapproval. Awkwardly, the angered Pros sat back down.

The brown haired girl below changed her demeanor as she finally raised her body from that slouched posture. It couldn't be helped that Bakugou hadn't noticed what she was doing earlier because of his position, but it was a huge miss for many of the "Pros" out in the stands to not have noticed.

"Because she kept her body low, Bakugou responded by expelling his explosions near the ground where she is," Yumi remarked as she watched the girl draw her hands together to release her zero-gravity Quirk. "In addition, Ochako's relentless attacks narrowed his field of vision and kept him from noticing."

Following her own remark, she looked up to the sky and smirked, the rest of those sitting beside her following suit. Dozens of blown up pieces of cement were suspended in the air. Uraraka was using Bakugou's explosive properties to store up weapons this entire time. "Now, _that's_ what I'd call using your resources." She added, and upon noticing, Midoriya's jumped up from his seat with a jolt.

"She had a desperate plan like that up her sleeve?!"

Uraraka rasped out a tired but determined breath as she stared at Bakugou. "Thanks, Bakugou-kun... For not letting your guard down..." she said before releasing her Quirk. "I'm gonna win!"

The amount of rocks suddenly falling from being released in their zero-gravity state was a sight to behold. It was a tremendous meteor shower. And with the opening that the distraction created, she immediately raced towards her opponent.

Bakugou looked up at the falling shower of debris and raised his left palm up while bracing it with his right. He let out a deep breath and focused all his energy on his one palm. There was just enough sweat gathered from continuously heating up his hands to evade and counter the girl's relentless attacks for him to pull this off.

Firecracker-like sparks traveled up his entire arm before an enormous explosion blasted from his palm up towards the debris, the force and extent of the blow immediately obliterated the large rocks into smithereens while throwing the girl back. Even those in the crowd felt the propelling force from afar as smoke clouded their vision.

"Since you're friends with that Shitty Nerd, I thought you'd be up to something..." He said as the black fog cleared slowly to reveal his smoking hand. Internally, he winced from the pain shooting up his palm. _'That was close...'_

Uraraka stood back up shakily and staggered to turn back around. "You're still standing?" Bakugou got back into battle stance at her willpower and started running towards her. "All right, let's get serious then!"

Suddenly, her legs buckled, and she fell to the ground. Despite it all, she still desperately tried to crawl her way towards Bakugou, who had stopped running towards her fallen form but was still cautiously observing her every move.

_'My body... But...'_ Uraraka bit her lips with frustration as she crawled with all her might. She had tried so, so hard, and she couldn't let this end here. 'I can still...' Alas, her body couldn't hold up. And the sight made Yumi's eyes brim over with affection for her, hands clutching into fists in her lap.

Midnight stepped once the girl stopped moving and held up a hand. "Uraraka-san's out of commission," She announced. "Bakugou-kun advances to the second round!"

The crowd cheered when Bakugou's face appeared on the big screen as the winner of the eighth match. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that just a few moments ago they were booing the blonde for "playing around". While Present Mic announced the final winner and concluded the end of the first round, Yumi watched the medical robots wheel Uraraka out to Recovery Girl and Bakugou make his way off the stage as well with the characteristic scowl on his face.

"Ochako..." Akano said regrettably for the girl. Doing the calculations, the result of the match only drew her one step closer with the possibility of facing off this Bakugou in the finals. Judging by his performance here, she could only conclude that anyone up against him was going to have a hard time with such an overpowering Quirk. "She did her best. She really was leading him by the nose for a good moment there."

Midoriya nodded as did Iida. "It's true. But there just wasn't enough time and Uraraka-kun had used her all her energy repeatedly throwing herself into the explosions. Anyone would easily run out of stamina after that." The bespectacled boy added for measure.

Concurring, Yumi looked at the male besides her. "Speaking of time, your match is up next, isn't it?" She asked the green haired boy, but all she could think of was who he will be facing this time around. The next one was a match she knew she couldn't or didn't remotely want to miss.

After the talk she had with Todoroki, Yumi had silently hoped it'd help free him of all the pain that accumulated within for even a little bit. And if she had succeeded, then she was sure it'd show a slight change in his upcoming battle at the very least.

Midoriya nodded silently and pushed himself off the chair. He had seen Todoroki from across the bleachers head into the tunnel for the player waiting room already, and that was his cue to go as well.

*

"Oh, there he is! Bakugou!" Kaminari called as the blonde stomped over to them. Bakugou growled at the noisy blond, stomping towards an empty seat.

Meanwhile, Sero looked at Bakugou apprehensively. "That match was tough, huh? Playing the bad guy..."

"Even if it was because of the match-up, you played an amazing villain, Bakugou-chan," Tsuyu added bluntly.

Hagakure interjected Bakugou's outburst at Tsuyu with a giddy demeanor, her invisible arm that was covered in U.A.'s gym uniform lifting up to clarify a point. "But not everyone thought so! Akano-san defended you when the Pro Heroes were badmouthing you! Surprisingly..."

"That's right!"

Yumi shook her head, not even acknowledging Bakugou as his intense glare fell on her. "I wasn't, really. I was just pointing out how dumb that Pro was for spouting nonsense without bothering to notice the information that was laid out right in front of him." She said, shrugging at the end, and her lax words elicited several sweatdrops from the boys and girls.

"Anyway..." Sero drew the conversation back to their original topic of discussion. "You really went all-out on her, huh?"

"Yeah!" Kaminari sighed with a pitying look, sending a flirtatious grin to Akano who'd actually checked out of the conversation long ago. "I can't believe you were able to aim such a huge blast at a frail girl! _I,_ for one, wouldn't be able to help but hold back."

The cellophane user grimaced at the blatant exaggeration for the tall redhead's sake as Tsuyu called the blonde out. "You'd most likely try to show off with a higher wattage than you can handle, and it'd be more embarrassing because it would be a girl as your opponent."

"T-Tsuyu-chan...!" Kaminari whined with embarrassment at the truth.

Bakugou scoffed at their annoying banter. He'd like to blow them up to shut their traps, but he knew he needed to calm down. Besides, he was the one in battle, so he knew and apparently, that redheaded extra did, as well for some reason-not that it mattered. Nothing about his opponent was frail. He only did what was necessary to win. There were more matches ahead that he was looking forward to so that he can beat them all and show them his indisputable strength.

After the winner of the arm wrestling match between Kirishima and Tetsutetsu was declared, it was time for the beginning of the second round. Overhead, Akano could already hear Present Mic announcing it.

"Those two haven't started yet?" Uraraka's voice was heard in the 1-A seating section and Yumi whipped her head back to see how she was doing after losing her battle. Her heart clenched when she saw her red puffy eyes and bandaged face as she attempted to put up a brave front. "I've gotta watch."

"Welcome back." Akano softly said, noting that Iida flinched when his eyes landed on her.

"Were your eyes hurt?! You must hurry to Recovery Girl-"

"I already went. This is, you know... It's _different_." She defeatedly said, her voice showcasing embarrassment as she moved to sit beside the redhead.

"It's different?" Iida persisted on his inquiry, his jaw slack and that prompted Yumi's frustrated huff. "Man, just how dense could you get?" She asked, incredulity fluttering her tongue as she tutted at the obtuse boy.

"I beg your pardon?" He frowned, only to gasp in realization. "I apologize. If that's the case, then you must've been really frustrated earlier."

After the speedster's words fell through, Tokoyami who sat besides him intervened. "Rather than feeling regretful right now, you should use this next match as a source of encouragement." When he spoke, it drew Yumi's attention to him and she had realized that he was going to be her opponent in her second match. He was coolly sitting there, arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked down at the ring. After seeing his one-sided battle with Yaoyorozu, Yumi came to know what his Quirk and fighting style were like, and she was sure he knew the same about her.

"I couldn't agree more." She consoled the brunette who clenched her hands in fists in determination. "Yeah!"

"_Thanks for waiting, everybody!"_ Present Mic's voice shouted through the intercom. _"The first match of the second round is a big one!"_

Indeed, the crowds were cheering even louder than before at the sight of the bicolor haired male walking towards the stage as Present Mic hyped up his introduction. On the opposite side, Midoriya was making his way up as well with a determined face. This was one of the matches that the crowd was looking forward to, and at the same time, was a bit apprehensive to watch after Todoroki's show of strength during his first match.

"Tokoyami-kun, what do you think of this match?" Iida asked the crow of a boy soon after the fight commenced, and the inquiry quickly drew both Akano and Uraraka's attention.

"It depends on whether or not Midoriya jumps in close to Todoroki." Tokoyami replied.

"Yeah. What is Deku-kun going to do about that ice?" Ochako's questioning remark only intrigued Yumi further, wondering how this would pan out with a newly found excitement.

It was amazing to see two great forces clashing at such a scale. Midoriya's powerful Quirk had smashed through each one of Todoroki's towering ice walls with a flick of his finger. However, while Todoroki's attacks seemed endless, Midoriya's came at an immediate price. Each powerful flick only further crippled him further. It was excruciating to watch as his chances were limited to the number of usable fingers.

"Man, Todoroki can shoot off powerful attacks that cover a lot of ground with no lag time!" Kirishima mused animately to Bakugou from the back of the section. "Midoriya's Quirk is cool too, but he always gets hurt. Even with my hardening Quirk, there's a limit to how much damage I can take. But you and Todoroki can both shoot off powerful attacks that cover a lot of ground. Like 'Bam!'"

The conversation between the spiky redhead and Bakugou became hard for Yumi and the rest to ignore when the ash blonde scoffed loudly. "I'm not just shooting them off. Don't underestimate me!"

"Huh?" Kirishima, Sero, and Kaminari, looked a bit confused at Bakugou's vague reply. While Yumi slightly tilted her head back, the curiosity causing the perk of her ginger brow.

"If you overuse your muscles,

the muscle fibers tear, and if you keep running, you'll run out of breath..." He trailed off, his tone of voice displayed an unusual calmness as his vermilion eyes shifted down so he could stare at his own hands. _'There's a limit to how much power I can produce, too. That's why I designed my costume so that I could fire blasts in excess of what my body allows without any risk.'_ He thought to himself, unwilling to share this piece of information with his classmates. However, the ash blonde neglected the fact there was a telepath sitting just a few feet away from him. "Quirks are physical abilities, too. They must also have some kind of limit."

Yumi didn't really know if that statement fully applied to her. Since in her last life she hadn't really scrutinized on her mutation's fatigue, but rather on to keep it under control. Granted, there were instances when she had been a child where she came to suffer from headaches or even the occasional nosebleed upon releasing too much of her psionic powers. But as Jean grew up, she had focused more on training herself to maintain her powers at bay, never really knowing her true limits past those side effects, until it was too late that is.

After she shifted her head and refocused on the match down below, she found that Bakugou's words were painfully applicable to the bicolor haired boy though. The biggest proof was how Todoroki was slowly being consumed with frostbite, and she narrowed her eyes at the male.

"Why are you going so far?" Todoroki let out a chilled breath as he lifted himself up with a slight tremble.

With both his right hand and entire left arm incapacitated, Midoriya was a sitting duck for Todoroki to send his final blow. But Midoriya hadn't let the blow finish him off. To everyone's great surprise, he had blasted both Todoroki and the wall away with his broken right index finger.

"There's a limit to how much cold your body can take, isn't there? You're trembling, Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya straightened himself up with great effort. His index finger looked ghastly, but so did the rest of his appendages. It didn't matter at the moment, though, because his body was pumped with so much adrenaline, he didn't feel much pain. "Isn't that something you could easily solve by using the heat from your left side? Everyone's fighting with everything they've got to win and get closer to their dream... To become number one... But you... You want to win with just half your strength?!" He curled up his fist despite the injury. "You haven't put a single scratch on me yet, you know!"

Todoroki narrowed his eyes. "Midoriya... What are you planning? Everything I've got?" Gritted his teeth angrily, he ran towards the male. "Did my damn old man buy you off or something? Now I'm angry!"

As he rashly ran towards Midoriya to get in close combat, he felt his body not being able to keep up. He was sure that everyone else noticed, too. But the moment he lifted his foot, the male came charging at him as well, and Todoroki felt the punch in his gut before he even saw it. Grazing his right hand across Midoriya's broken arm, he was thrown backward with colossal force.

Letting out a pained cough, Todoroki got back up and once he did, ice formed under his feet and trailed towards his opponent again, but it was significantly slower this time. Even so, he didn't let up his ice attacks. Midoriya long had run out of usable fingers to flick his powerful attacks at him, yet he was still able to retaliate his blows.

"Why are you... Going so far?"

"Because I want to live up to everyone's expectations!" Midoriya staggered towards him with resolve, eyes burning with relentless determination. "I want to be able to smile... And respond to them... To be a cool hero... That's what I want to be!"

"_Shouto_..."

His mother's voice cut through his thoughts just as Midoriya landed another punch in his gut.

'_Shut up!'_ The effects of his ice was starting to numb his entire right arm, and soon, it was going reach the rest of his body. It would have all been solved if he used his fire side, but he won't. Todoroki gritted his teeth as memories of his harsh upbringing flashed through his mind once again. His mother always tried to stop his father from pushing him further when he was too weak to continue. It was because of him that she always got pushed around by his bastard of a father. It was because of him that she cried so much.

_"No... I don't want to be like Father... I don't want to become someone who bullies you, Mother!"__"But you want to be a hero, don't you? It's okay for you to be one. As long as you have a future you're sure about."_

"That's why... I will win!" Midoriya came up before him, his right arm emitting a powerful glow to knock him out. "I will surpass you!"

"I will reject..." Todoroki lifted himself up again. He was trembling harder than ever now. "My old man's power...!"

"It's _your_ power, isn't it?!" Midoriya shouted in frustration.

Those simple words seemed to have snapped something back into his mind as more memories flooded back. He realized that people have been saying the same thing throughout his life, but he just never understood it. His mother, All Might, even Akano, a girl he barely knew...

Even the look in Akano's translucent green eyes reappeared across his mind and he felt a weight lift off his body. This was what she was hinting at when he'd met her for the second time near the vending machine. He didn't even know how she knew, but this was what she wanted to get him to realize. _'Before I knew it, I had forgotten...'_

_"You don't have to be a prisoner of your blood. It's okay for you to become who you want to be."_

His mother had said those words to him that one night he came crying to her.

_"There's so much to you than you think you know, not just pain and anger, or even guilt."_

_"It's okay. It's okay for you to be who you were meant to be."__'The person I'm meant to be...?'_ That was all the encouragement he needed to ignite the fire on his left side. Instantaneously, all the numbness on his body melted away as brilliant flames set the stadium ablaze.

"_Th-This is—!"_ Present Mic's surprised howl cut through the stage.

"The fire's here...!" Uraraka braced herself as the heat blew up towards the student section much like the ice had done in the previous round. Everyone was instantly sweating from the blast of heat. "S-So hot!"

"He used it..." Yumi's eyes were as wide as saucers. Midoriya actually made him use his left side... Even if it meant that he was helping his enemy become stronger...

The liberated look on Todoroki's face was one Yumi was sure she could never forget.

"SHOUTO!" Endeavor's voice boomed across the stadium. His hell flame were lit brightly as a look of victory etched across his face. "Have you finally accepted yourself?! That's it! Good! It all starts from here for you! With my blood, you will surpass me... You will fulfill my desire!"

_"Endeavor-san suddenly shouts encouragement...?" Present Mic questioned. "He's surprisingly a doting father."_

Yumi almost snorted, dedicating a harsh glare to the older man, wrapped in blazing arms of flames before looking back down at the two males in the ring as they got ready to send the final blow.

She smiled, glad that Shouto was able to accept his power, and she wondered if she could do that, too.

'_Even if my heart is overshadowed now, there will come a time when _I need to confront my weakness...'


	21. Eighteen-Part II

"Todoroki-kun advances to the next round!"

Murmurs sounded as the first match of the second round ended abruptly with Cementoss' interference. Nonetheless, the force of the clash of two powers hitting the giant cement wall ultimately caused Midoriya to be thrown out of bounds, thus declaring Todoroki to be the winner. While the former was wheeled to Recovery Girl, Todoroki walked away with his eyes void of emotion and his mind spinning.

"We should go check on Deku-kun!" Uraraka urged as she shot up from her seat after Present Mic announced a short break while Cementoss fixed up the stadium. "He looked really beaten up!" As she started walking out the seating area, Iida, Tsuyu and even Mineta began following suit.

'_More like he beat himself up_...' Yumi thought to herself, a droplet of sweat traveling down her cheek at the boy's admirable tenacious, yet completely reckless attempts. She'd also gotten up from her seat, seemingly about to follow Midoriya's worried friends to check up on him, but then she abruptly halted in her step near the tunnel. "Tell him I hope he gets better soon."

"Are you ready for your match, Akano-kun?" Iida smiled politely before asking the pensive girl.

"Ah, Yu-chan, sorry." The bespectacled boy's inquiry made Ochako gasp in realization, instantly feeling bad for forgetting about her friends upcoming battle, against the formidable Tokoyami nonetheless. "Your match is after the break, right? I'll be sure to watch it to cheer you on!"

"Thank you." With a gracious nod, Yumi was about to depart from the bunch, only for Mineta to latch on to her. "Then, I shall escort you!"

"What's that now?"

Uraraka brought a surprised hand to cover her gapping mouth. "Ehh?! What about Deku-kun?"

"To hell with that guy-!"

While Mineta was immediately shut up by a slap from Tsuyu's tongue, Uraraka and Iida had went on their way as did Akano. That last blow aside, Midoriya had already sustained repeated abuse on his injured limbs. Even if Recovery Girl can fix anything, it will take a lot longer to heal something so severe.

Though as she made her way to the waiting room she was assigned to, she decided to clear her head in preparation for her second battle, because she was sure it would be a tough one.

*

_"'You're in my way,'" Endeavor stood in the middle of the tunnel with a proud smirk on his face. "You're not going to say that this time around?"__The hero was met with silence from his son once again, but he was not deterred after that spectacular display of power. Instead, he glanced at Todoroki's torn shirt that was destroyed from the magnificent fire that erupted from hid left side.__"You need to control your left side... You're just letting it all out and it's dangerous. But you have abandoned your childish tantrum and finally become a perfect upgrade of me. After you graduate, come work for me. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty!"__"There's no way I can abandon anything." Todoroki softly said as he looked at his left hand. "It's not something that can be so easily reversed. It's just... Back then... For that one moment, I forgot about you." Endeavor's icy blue eyes widened as his son then walked past him. "Whether that is a good thing or bad thing... Whether it's correct or not... I need to think about it."_

Crickets could have been heard within the deadly silent waiting room that Todoroki Shouto currently resided in.

"I used it..."

The battle with Midoriya left him with a lot to think about, especially after the rather spirited end of it all, however confusing for him as it was. The bicolor haired boy had found himself walking aimlessly afterwards until he ended right back in the quiet room, rather forgetting that it no longer belonged to him was his second match was over.

Todoroki was still inspecting his left hand as though it was foreign to him, and his different colored eyes were drawn tightly together in concentration.

'_I am the tool that my father chose to wield. If I was never born, then it's possible that my father would've bullied my mother even more.'_

Then, slowly, his hand slithered its way so it could rest against the scarred portion of his face, and dreadful memories of when he received it began flowing back to him. His mother's misery. Her fear of not only his father, but him, as well. All of it flashing before him.

'_But because I was born, I was the one to hurt my mother even further by allowing her to experience such painful feelings. The helpless child of my past was ignorant to how much I made her _suffer...'

He could remember far back to times before Rei had reached her breaking point, back when she hesitantly began to distance herself from him, when she only watched him from afar as he endured Enji's harsh training for her sake.

Shouto had only put up with his father's rigorous and impossible training just so that he could grow into someone who could protect his mother. But as he worked hard, pushing his body to its limit, all of his hatred towards his dad fueled him further, his eyes burning with a raging fury for the Number 2 Hero. Shouto's life's purpose and goal had become distorted as all he focused on was his loathsome old man and how he would one day surpass and beat him.

But the young Todoroki failed to notice how much pain he unwittingly inflicted on his mother when she watched her precious boy slowly morphing into the man who tortured her and made her life miserable.

And as time passed by, the only thing she saw when her son was standing right in front of her was Endeavor's cold, spiteful, icy blue eyes, and his burning scarlet hair.

_'I was unaware of what my mother thought when she watched me. I didn't know how important it was for her to have someone reach out with a hand filled with love, just like she did for me.'_

Shouto was then forever solemn after his mother left him behind, because he longed to feel unconditional acceptance and love - the likes of which he never truly received as he was burdened with the mission to "surpass" All Might by his damned old man, the Number 2 Hero, Endeavor.

But Shouto... He had surprisingly come to receive it from a rather unexpected source. And from someone he barely knew-

The door creaked, forcefully drawing Todoroki away from his musings and to the redhead standing before him. Speak of the devil...

The pondering teen had lost track of time and didn't even pay attention to the fact that this waiting room no longer belonged to him for the time being. And his breath had almost hitched when light spring eyes met with his own.

Yumi's eyes widened when she was met with the ice and (now) fire wielding male, the door to the room automatically clicking behind her as she just stood there, frozen by the threshold. A look of surprise betraying her stoic features. "This is waiting room 3... Right?" She mumbled, almost gasping from surprise to see him so soon after watching his match against Midoriya. Todoroki had been just sitting there, arms resting against the metal table, looking as calm and inscrutable as ever.

"That's right. Sorry, I needed somewhere to recollect my thoughts, and I didn't know where else to go." The boy said, finally able to speak after recuperating from the initial shock, especially after he'd started thinking about her. With the intention to leave her be, he rested his palms against the table, closing his eyes as he began to lift himself off the chair.

"It's fine, you can stay." Akano was quick to exclaim, stopping Todoroki midway, and he looked back to her, silently asking if she was sure. "I get nervous when I'm alone either way." She reassured, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. What she said was a blatant lie, since the redhead wasn't really one to get nervous that often, but he looked like a lost puppy at the moment and Yumi didn't have the heart to kick him out.

With that being said, Akano hesitantly advanced towards Todoroki, her light footsteps unheard as she pulled up a chair and sat on one of the ones facing him. She was quite, as was he, but she swallowed thickly every now and then, unsure of whether she should congratulate him for winning his second match, or to commend him for overcoming the complex he's had for years, the latter she shouldn't have even known at all if it weren't for her telepathic abilities. _'I think it's best if I don't say anything after all...'_ She concluded after watching the spiritless boy.

Silence. It stretched over the two of them like wings.

Shouto gazed at the girl. She had been looking at him. Not scrutinizing or judging..but just.._looking_ at him. He could not describe how her stare made him feel. However, when her light eyes directed towards him made his abdomen churn with nervous yet excited energy. It felt good and concerning at the same time.

When he looked back to his left hand, he couldn't deny that Akano's speech had made the memory of his mother's supportive words resurface during his battle against Midoriya, thus urging him to use his left side.

_"It's okay for you to be who you were meant to be."_

No matter how much Todoroki tried, he still couldn't erase her from his head. Her words from before seemed to play in his head like a broken record. '_Yeah, you're right.. To allow myself to give my all_.'

He bit his lower lip, coming to a conclusion he had never really wanted to admit until now with his eyebrows scrunching in dismay.

'_I wanted to be given permission_...' Todoroki finally looked up from his incessant staring at his own hand, and averted his gaze back at the girl sitting before him. Much to both of their astonishment, she'd done the same and their eyes met at that instant. He opened his mouth, about to say something when Present Mic's voice boomed from the speakers installed in the room.

'_It's time, huh?'_ She knew it was her que to leave now, and the redhead wondered just how the time flew by so quickly. Once the announcement of the end of the break was made, Akano stood up.

"I should get going, my fight is probably about to start." She said softly, pausing when she caught the displeased look flashing in his eyes.

"Akano, wait." Todoroki shot up from his seat and Yumi turned back to him awaitingly.

"Is something the matter?"

"No..." He trailed off, the straightforward expression of hers making him doubtful of his next words and his hand shot up to the back of his neck. "When we talked... Before, you said-"

Even before he had a chance to finish, Akano interjected, knowing full well that she'd overstepped her boundaries during their last talk. "-I apologize for earlier. I know it's annoying for a stranger to tell you what to do. I'm sorry." She said, lips pursing as she gave him a quick apologetic bow of her head. However, it seemed that her answer was unsatisfactory for the dual haired boy.

"No, that's not what I..." Todoroki was hesitant as he spoke. An apology was not what he wanted from the red haired girl. So then what _did_ he want? An explanation?

Yes, he needed to know.

"How? How did you know about my past?" He asked, and Yumi noted how his boldness and cocky attitude from their earlier meeting had faded long ago, frowning when she saw him lowering his head to stare at his clenched fist.

'_Did she overhear me and Midoriya talking?'_

Hearing the current speculation that roamed within his mind, Yumi was quick to refute it with a shake of her head. "I didn't eavesdrop on you if that's what you're thinking."

_Then how?_ His curious eyes expressed.

The red haired female sighed at the look he was sending her, her eyes softening as she gazed upon the boy who's mind she'd unwillingly infiltrated. "My Quirk..." She began to explain, gentleness fluttering in her tone of voice, hoping she wouldn't offend him when he comes to find out what she'd done. After all, his past and memories only belonged to him and him alone. His pain only belonged to him. But it felt like she was a thief who'd come and stolen all of them to view for her own enjoyment -which was definitely not the case.

"-It not only allows me to hear people's thoughts or manipulate their perception, but it can also immerse me in their minds. Their memories and feelings, pain and pleasure, I experience it all at times. Whether I want to or not." She finished off, her fingers going to instinctively rub on her temple as she took in his shocked look.

"That means-"

The girl gently nodded, her silkly hair cascading with the motion. "Yeah, when we bumped into each other, that's when I saw it all."

"...I see."

This was quickly veering into very personal, very deep uncomfortable territory Todoroki really didn't want to be treading, especially not with Akano, a girl he'd just met. But the cat was out of the proverbial bag. She'd seen everything, whether he liked it or not.

Yumi's frown deepened. "For what it's worth, I _really_ am sorry. I always try to keep my Quirk under control, but sometimes it just has a mind of its own." As per Charles Xavier once said, 'the majority of her mutation was deeply rooted within her subconscious'. That's why she couldn't control it at times. And the moment she'd bumped into Todoroki, he himself, wasn't all that emotionally stable, practically dragging her into his head with open arms. But that didn't mean she blamed him for this, it was her own fault for not being able to control her powers.

"...It's fine." He muttered, but his angst still remained in his response. He watched her wince slightly at his words before she bowed her head once again and hesitantly made her way to the door so she could leave.

But he wasn't done. Todoroki had to ask her the one inquiry left that was bouncing off in his brain.

All throughout his battle with Midoriya, he couldn't help but compare her words to something so painfully similar his mother had said to him. Way back before both their lights had extinguished. And now he wondered if she'd said it because she saw his mother saying it to him before.

"About your words from earlier, you said '_it's okay for you to be who you were meant to be_', did you, also.."

Still facing the door, Akano didn't bother to turn around, keeping her facial expression hidden from him. However, her trembling voice indicated the truthfulness to her answer. Yumi sucked in her dry lips, briefly lathering it with her tongue before she let out a soft sigh. "Ah, that. You shouldn't pay it any mind. If anything, I was talking to myself. I needed to hear myself saying it, so I'm sorry if it didn't make much sense."

"But-" Shouto's eyes widened, now intrigued with what she meant by that, but she didn't give him a chance when she abruptly turned around to face him, tilting her head as she spoke.

"Oh, before I forget, your fight earlier was really amazing. I was so moved."

Nothing could have prepared Todoroki Shouto for the expression that blinked across Yumi's face; a smile graced her rosy lips and cheeks, slightly notching them upwards and her bright eyes crinkled with a benevolent, almost grateful, look.

"Good luck on your next round, I'll be cheering for you. Bye."

For the rest of the time she spent standing there, Shouto was absolutely spellbound, and his heart slammed against his ribcage at the bright smile that split her lips.

Even after she left, the door softly slamming behind her, Todoroki still stood there frozen, his heart galloping at a relentless pace.

The dense boy gulped harshly, a cold sweat forming on his cheek as his right hand abruptly shot to his upper left arm, squeezing it anxiously.

**_BA-THUMP!_**

"Did using my left side after so long cause this arrhythmia?"

**A/N:-****Yooooo my peeps XD how are you all doing?! So, I was actually intending that the next chapter I would publish would have the Jean/Yumi vs Tokoyami fight, but I realized it was gonna be way too long to write at the moment so I published this as soon as I wrote it Hope you enjoyed this one... Also, after the sports festival, I promise to focus more on the romantic aspect of this story, since I have big plans for the future! I can't believe I've written almost 10 chapters about an event that lasted only a day Anywho, thank you all for your support! **


	22. Nineteen

**JuggernautJJ: Your patrpatriarchal theory of women suppressing their powers still has me intrigued! Yes, when you mentioned it, Captain Marvel immediately came up to me, but Wonder Woman as well! Especially in the comics once she found out that her bracelets of submission were actually holding her back instead of aiding her in combat.**

**And regarding the League of villians, I think Jean would recognize where they were coming from and the pain that led them down this path. But she wouldn't think it would justify their violence, I think?**

**S0128Yuki: Yeah, in my opinion, Aoyama is an animated Alex Summers with slightly better hair**

**Phoenix Targaryen: I don't think Charles was intentionally holding her back because she was more powerful than him, but he tried to teach her control so she wouldn't have another 'incident' like she did with her parents. I think he was more concerned of what she might do to others and how she could hurt them that he failed to notice that he was hurting her instead. He made her fear herself (although that wasn't his intention), but I think it was a better outcome than in the original horrible timeline (the one before Wolverine went back in time and showed him the future) Since in the original timeline, he completely played with her mind, caging all of her powerful emotions and her strengths, creating an alter ego, while the normal Jean was ignorant as to how strong she could be. So, choosing to make Jean fear herself and always move with caution vs. a ticking time bomb with a dual personality was the better of two evils I suppose.**

**Lol, sorry for ranting...**

**And yes, you can expect a love triangle soon**

**riachuelo: Your review made me laugh so much I almost choked! So thank you!**

**Earl John Diawatan: Oooooh I never really thought about it that way... I mean, I thought of Colossus the moment I saw Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and Kirishima was akin to it, too... I like Emma, too, but I came to dislike her when she stole Jean's man (Scott) in the comics**

**starshadow122: Yeah she's so lovable LMAO!**

**For a telepath she's surprisingly dense lol But for realz, she may or may not notice her effect on guys later on in the upcoming chapters, but she would most likely dismiss them as "boys being boys" In my opinion, Yumi is most likely too "mature"? to reciprocate any sort of romantic feelings at first. And if she does develop them, she would go out of her way to deny those feelings. Let's not forget that she's mentally older than her peers and that she always viewed Scott as her one true love. But I'm excited to write her path down emotional maturity :D**

**~**

"Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it."

-The Secret History

~

_"YAHOO! Players get ready for the third match of the second round!"_ Present Mic's announcement overhead was loud as Midoriya carefully jogged his way into the 1-A section.

"Ah, Deku-kun!" Uraraka suddenly called in surprise. Her classmates turned to the mentioned male and took in his form that was bandaged from the waist up. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that he was out so early; but at least he didn't look like he was in pain anymore.

"Midoriya-chan, your surgery went well?" Tsuyu eagerly asked.

"Yeah." The green haired teen nodded and took the seat next to Uraraka.

"Shouldn't you be resting...?" Uraraka asked, eyes brimming over with worry. And Midoriya was quick to dedicate her a firm shake of his head. "I bumped into Iida-kun right before this. His match is right after Akano-san's. I want to properly watch the efforts of everyone who wants to become a hero."

His words prompted not only Uraraka, but the rest of them to nod and pay attention. He was absolutely right about everyone trying their best, so they couldn't fault him for trying to come watch and support his classmates.

After the two contestants made their entrance and got on the tournament stage, the crowds began to cheer. "_Who will be the victor, one of the top hero course students, **Tokoyami Fumikage**, or the dark horse that is **Akano Yumi**, who'd won her previous fight in an instant?! Just who will it be?!"_

"May the best win." Yumi declared with a stoic and respectful look to the Raven-headed boy who was standing within a reasonable distance from her. Red eyes flashed with silent determination, and Tokoyami reciprocated with a polite nod. "Affirmative."

Unlike the previous fight that featured both Midoriya and Todoroki, the stage lacked the palpable tension that used to seep into the air. But anyone could tell that the two parties now involved were also in it for the win, just to show that no one was actually deceived by the calmness both Tokoyami and Akano radiated.

"Who do you guys think will win?" Ashido ended up asking her classmates who had their eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"My money's on Tokoyami." Sero answered almost all too quickly, a bright grin plastered on his flat face that showed his confidence in his classmate's abilities. And Kaminari nodded boisterously in return.

"Same! But Akano-chan needn't worry, I'll comfort her." He said, eliciting a scowl from Jiro.

It seemed that the bunch were free to discuss the match as loud as they wanted, especially since Bakugou wasn't in their midst, already gone off to prepare for his upcoming match against Iida Tenya.

Mina hummed thoughtfully at the two boys' words, and then turned to the girl who had actually faced the Dark Shadow-user in the previous round. "What about you, Yaomomo?"

"Yes, Tokoyami-san has a huge advantage. If not by the weeks of rigorous hero combat training he has on her, then by his display of sheer aggressive offense and defense..." Yaoyorozu calmly said, thinking back to Tokoyami's incredible proficiency with his Quirk, using it for both attack and defense, boosting his mobility. Her hands gave off the slightest tremble and she quickly clenched them into fists to hide her discomfort. Tokoyami Fumikage was frighteningly quiet during their bout, and his eyes revealed an unwavering strength. A look of total serenity. She, herself, didn't stand a chance against him...

Uraraka, having heard the discouraging talk about the outcome of her friend's match, fidgeted nervously. "Th-that's not completely true! Yu-chan easily won against Aoyama-kun. If she could do the same in this fight-"

"-I don't know about that..."

"Deku-kun?"

Midoriya frowned, a calculative look blinking onto his features. "I don't know much about Akano-san's Quirk, but assuming that she can alter the perception of her opponent by affecting their brain somehow, then I don't think that will work on Tokoyami-kun in particular."

Ochako's nervousness shifted into confusion at the green haired male's words. "How come?"

"**_Because_**-" He began, just as Present Mic announced the beginning of the match.

"_START_!"

On cue, the Shadow attached to Tokoyami started to grow larger and stronger, and it was headed straight towards Yumi. Anticipating this, she was quick on her feet and dodged the oncoming attacks while her hand flew to her temple.

With a heavy sigh, she made her way into Tokoyami's mind in a rush but still minding her precision as she hoped for a similar outcome to her earlier match as she tapped into his mind. Akano watched in relief as Dark Shadow retracted back to the blinded boy, and she wasted no time to advance forward.

Tokoyami's eyes shot wide open, only to be met with nothing but jet black darkness. Yumi's approach may have been a bit extreme, not only distorting his perception of where she was, but _completely_ wiping out the landscape before him until all of his vision was blinded. She wasn't taking any chances during this round, especially with how strong her opponent was.

_"Akano advances forward! Could she emerge as the victor to this match?!"_ Present Mic's announcement was all Tokoyami needed to confirm his suspicion that Akano was lunging towards him, attempting to do the same to him as she did Aoyama.

Unfortunately for Akano, she had missed one _tiny_ detail once she reveled inside Tokoyami's head, but one that shifted the entire match in an instant.

"Dark Shadow! Don't let her get close!" Gritting his teeth indignantly, Tokoyami shouted out the command to his Quirk.

"You got it!" Uncrossing its shadowy arms, the being huffed before complying.

**_"Because Dark Shadow is its own separate entity."_** Midoriya's words echoed throughout the seating area, and Ochako gasped in realization.

It was that Fumikage's Quirk allowed him to manifest -_manifest_, and not control- a sentient shadow monster from his body that can materialize and contract freely.

"Wha-?!" Air was knocked out of Yumi's lungs mid-run when Dark Shadow's powerful claw of a hand struck her across the midriff with undoubted precision. The shock and the force of the attack made her eyes peel open, bewilderment flashing across her face. _'That shouldn't... He can't see me... Can he?'_

She winced from the impact when she stood up straight, and she was sure that if she hadn't taken the right stance and crossed her arms protectively in front her that she could have fractured a rib or something. '_I'm sure he can't see me. Not with that dazed look in his eyes. Wait-!'_

Before her mind was able to link up a conclusion, another blow was dealt her way without her being able to comprehend where it was coming from, and this one ended up with her toppling onto the floor with a loud thud. Tokoyami didn't need his eyes to win, he didn't even have to move as his companion did all of his work for him. This was what Yaoyorozu must've felt during her bout with the stoic boy...

'_He's fast_' She wheezed, brow cinched and perspiration glistening along the side of her face. '_I thought he had conscious control over that thing, but it's acting on its own.'_ Hands supporting her crouching form against the cold cement, Yumi swallowed thickly, hearing the multiple gasps of disappointment that erupted from the crowds, but she didn't mind them.

Akano took off and started sprinting, as Dark Shadow shot towards her again, pouncing onto her as if she were its prey. With her telepathy still in action, she was able to dodge the attacks with difficulty while trying to close in her opponent. Seeing that she was getting closer, Tokoyami expelled Dark Shadow at a more forceful pace. The blur of black was causing chaos around the ring.

**_WHOOSH!_****_BAM!_**

'_He keeps attacking so quick, I can't collect my thoughts_' She panted heavily trying to calm her heart rate down, almost not catching enough oxygen. And with a snap, Yumi's hold on Tokoyami's mind vanished after she lost focus, her minor injuries and the constant fear and evasion of Dark Shadow's attacks had done the trick. Said boy's scarlet eyes widened, grateful that his vision returned and he wasted no time into taking in his surroundings once more.

Tokoyami took a few steps forward to move away from the out of bounds line, although he knew he was fully in control now. And he stared at Yumi's slight slouched form with a frown, however still commanding his Quirk to restrain her or push her out, whichever came first.

In the midst of the attacks, the entity shot one of its claws up from below Yumi's feet and made a move to restrain her. However, she quickly maneuvered her hands above her head to lift herself off from the ground before flipping her body over the attacking mass. However, that move only caused her to get even closer to the out of bounds line.

_"Akano is in a pinch! With Tokoyami's relentless attacks, it looks like she's got nowhere to go but out!"_ Overhead, Present Mic's excited voice boomed as he commented on Dark Shadow's impressive attacks against Akano. _"Will Akano Yumi be alright?!"_

"Y-Yu-chan!" Uraraka's voice came out in a desperately squeak, and she held her hands together tightly in a praying fashion. She still seemed to have hope that her friend would still make it, but her positive thinking fully differed from the disappointed murmurs the crowds of Pro Heroes released.

"Is she gonna lose?"

"And here I thought she was gonna make it to the finals..."

"Their difference in ability is just too great!"

Tokoyami scrutinized the heaving, tired girl. And he figured that she was at her wit's end once he began walking closer to her.

"I admire your tenacity. However-" He halted in his steps, maintaining a calm expression as he instructed his Quirk to go for one final push that would surely be the last one he needed. "Dark Shadow, drive her out."

"You got it!"

_"Tokoyami closes in on Akano!"_ Present Mic howled excitedly. _"Will he deliver his final attack now?!"_

Like a furious wave, impotence rose to Jean's chest and ran through her entire body, and she shook her head frantically.

'_Not yet_,' She furrowed her brows as she shuffled and switched to stand over to her other foot. Dark Shadow came at her once again, and this time although she could tell that the attack was stronger and more vicious than its predecessors, it seemed like she could see it in slow motion. The sounds that the horde of spectators made were echoey, as if she were under water and she just stared at the oncoming attack with unwavering pupils.

_"We're just really proud of you! We love you, Yumi/Mi-chan!"__"Just as well, don't you lose. Show 'em what we general ed students are made of."__"When we first met.. On that train, I was really scared, and you saved me. You were my hero back then, Yu-chan!"_

As those supportive words echoed through her mind, she willed herself to focus harder. Her parents, Shinsou, Ochako, and even the liberated form of Todoroki's back as flames erupted from his left side all flashed before her all at once. _'I have to use it!'_

She had taken a huge gamble with this because she wasn't sure if she would still be fully conscious of the limit of her powers, but now she knew, it was now or never. She needed to make this work because the out of bounds line was just a few feet behind her. _'I'm scared... I'm afraid of hurting someone again. But-!'_

_"Jean," Charles Xavier's smooth and softly accented voice was still fresh within Jean's memories, as was the wisdom of his words that never failed to guide her in times of need. "A person's heart is made up of two sides of the same coin. Just as happiness shines in the shadows of sorrow, only the darkest depths of fear, does courage truly shine."_

With a ragged breath, Yumi weakly shook her head, eyes slamming shut underneath her furrowed brow. '_I have no other choice...'_

"Like I'll let you push me out!" Akano yelled spiritedly, her heightened senses fully focused. Aching, sour muscles were already prepared to react just as well as her telekinesis.

Yumi took notice that the attack was only a few feet away from, so she raised her arm gracefully albeit in a rushed manner, and thus created a protective force field out of psychokinetic energy to protect herself from the strike with the wave of her hand.

And then the shadowy figure collided against her invisible shield. It was a wave of a strong force crashing against an immovable object, but Dark Shadow ended up curving to the side from the impact.

"What-?!"

Green eyes locked on Tokoyami in a predatory gaze that sent shivers down his spine. He stepped back to decipher what was going on, but he commanded Dark Shadow to remain on guard.

Witnesses and spectators stared in shock at the intense scene before them, wondering how the red haired female was able to nullify Tokoyami's vicious blow.

_"It was completely blocked?!"_ The voice hero gapped, but his natural curiosity quickly overwhelmed his excited narration. _"...But how?"_

_"Don't ask me."_ Aizawa grumbled, but he, too, was intrigued by the new display of abilities.

Down below, Yumi's mind had never been clearer after she took care of Tokoyami's sentient Quirk. She maintained a solid grip on the energy within her, holding back any ounce of herself that could lose control and attempted to keep the balance on all of her emotions.

One wrong slip and she'd be regretting it.

The crowd cheered as the girl stood up straight with a wince, she rotated her right shoulder slightly to make sure nothing was broken. It hurt like hell, but everything seemed to be in the right place.

Tokoyami took a cautious step back as she moved away from the out bounds line. Her eyes shone with determination. But he wasn't ready to lose yet, either.

And with that notion, Dark shadow came lunging at her once again, this time at maximum speed, almost taking up all of the darkness Tokoyami had stored for Dark Shadow's offensive attacks. It seemed like it would work, the animated quirk of his was growing substantially in size to an almost terrifying extent, and Dark Shadow bared both of its claws at Akano. However-

Another surge of energy began to flow through her, and Yumi poured all of her attention to creating an even stronger blow that would render his attack useless.

The entity had no time to react once Jean projected her telekinetic energy as a purely concussive force. And it was simply pushed back, unable to resist her power.

Tokoyami's eyes blew wide open, panic seeping into his blood making him shudder in response to the invisible force that had negated his own powerful attack. _'How is she doing this?'_ The tranquil air he carried vanished as did the brief confidence that he was going to win this fight, while Akano just coolly observed him from afar, winds rushing past her cascading silky hair. It seemed like the roles have been reversed, and the spectators cheered in excitement.

"Did you see that?!"

"W-what in the world was that?!"

"I've never seen anything like this before!"

_"B-but a shocking ability about Akano has just been revealed!"_ Present Mic briefly stammered in shock from the announcement cube.

"I see..." Aizawa noted with a gruff tone as he looked down at Akano Yumi's information sheet, inspecting it for the second time around. The Voice hero also turned to look at the sheet with a raised brow, letting out a confused mumble. "Huh? What is it?"

The Erasure hero huffed when he came to a conclusion, and his brief curiosity of the girl's abilities was finally satiated. "What with such a vague Quirk naming, of course there'd be confusion as to what it exactly is."

When Akano's Quirk was only named as 'ESP' in her registry, and when she only displayed telepathic feats in her previous match, he had come to assume that she only possessed that specific set of ability. Until now that is.

This new piece of information that has come to light only drove Aizawa to wonder why she didn't apply to the hero course in the first place, and why she was applying for a transfer only now.

"Well, what _is_ her Quirk?" Present Mic mumbled, pouting as he tried to look at the paper for himself, squishing his face next to Eraser's to sneak a peak.

Aizawa pushed the blonde hero out his way with his arm cast. His black eyes focused on the unmoving girl in the ring. It seemed that she really knew what she was doing.

"'_Drive her out_' is what you said, right?" The red haired esper repeated to Tokoyami, and she smirked when she saw the visible tremor of his hands. She lifted her arm once again, and faced her open palm towards him.

"DARK SHADOW!-" Before the crow-headed boy could shout out another command to his shadowy companion, something interrupted. Tokoyami gasped a ragged breath when he felt something, an energy of some sort looming over him before wrapping around his form.

"_You_ get out!" Yumi continued to scream as she strongly, almost disdainfully, lifted Tokoyami's body including the shadowy extension of him with her telekinetic abilities, and tossed his body across the arena.

And the crow of a boy landed meters away from the tournament stage with a loud thud, his body almost bouncing off of the cement from the sudden impact as he coughed a big gulp of air.

**_[Akano Yumi, Quirk: ESP!_****_Akano possesses and can harness psychic powers. This includes a wide range of abilities such as Telepathy, Tele-empathy, Retrocognition, and Pyschokinesis._****_In other words; she's weird!]_**

After pausing, a short stutter came out of Midnight's half-open mouth before speaking correctly. "... To-Tokoyami-kun is out of bounds! Akano-san wins!"

"Yu-chan!" Uraraka cried out in relief, body shooting up to a standing position the moment the announcement was made. The rest of her classmates were equally as surprised at the events that just transpired, their jaws slacking in shock. It was only Midoriya who hadn't given the exact reaction at the same time, looking a bit thoughtful for a while before gasping in realization.

"Could it be...?!" He said to himself, trying to go through his own notebook with one hand as the other was stuck in a cast and suspended from his shoulder.

"What is it Deku-kun?"

"That was Psychokinesis without a doubt." He asserted, lips forming a tight line as he looked up from the slightly burnt book. His jittery statement drew the whole lot of attention to him.

"Huh?"

"I think you've mentioned something like that before, but I didn't really get it." Jiro remarked, remembering Midoriya's ramble after she asked him what the red haired girl's was.

The One-For-All user did a double take and winced once his aching muscles protested, noticing that the majority of his class were awaiting for his explanation. "Psychokinesis, or telekinesis, is the ability of one's mind to have a direct effect on another object without the use of any physical energy."

"Isn't that an insanely strong Quirk then, Midoriya?" Kirishima asked with a tone underlying anxiety, since he figured that if he were to win his second match against Mina, he'd be facing the fellow redhead up next.

"Yeah..." Midoriya mumbled.

Mina, surprisingly, then voiced out the thought that had crossed the green haired boy's mind at this instant. "Th-then, why hasn't she used it before?"

"I don't know..." He trailed off, his curious eyes shifting to gaze down at the girl in question.

_"WONDERFUL!"_ Up in the announcement booth, Present Mic was absolutely enthralled by the new display of Yumi's abilities. _"WHAT INCREDIBLE POWER! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THAT, AKANO?!"_

_'What did I...?'_ The wild and incredibly loud cheers prompted Yumi's owlish blinking after stood up straight, her arm falling by her side. She, herself, was surprised at what happened, just now realizing it as she wiped a cold sweat off her forhead. Her once dimmed eyes sparkling once she looked up to the large screen that displayed her victorious form, digital confetti surrounding her in it with the words 'WINNER' sprawled across it.

She could hear the outrageous questions emerging from the multitude of Pro Heroes, asking and wondering if she really were a student of the general department, and she _would_ have been proud to know that she's started to prove herself if she weren't overcome with worry for Tokoyami who was still sprawled on the floor.

But a sigh of relief left her lips once she saw him lift himself up and dusting off his gym uniform before making his way back to the arena.

"Seriously what just happened?!"

"As expected of our Akano-sama!"

Shinsou had been quietly supportive of Akano throughout her entire match, wincing every time she was knocked down by the so called "superior" hero student, but still hoping she'd pull through. However, just when it seemed that she was going to lose, the genius redhead turned the tables by showcasing an new, hidden, ability and it rendered him speechless. "What... Was that?" He muttered, voice portraying a mixture of disbelief and something yet to identify.

_"What an absolutely stunning upset! The one who defeated Tokoyami Fumikage who was one of those favored to win this tournament, was Akano Yumi, a general Ed student!"_

Simultaneously, over at the class B seating section, Monoma Neito clicked his tongue in annoyance, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he saw his former classmate bowing in front of her defeated opponent. "Tch, she's too competent."


	23. Twenty

It was safe to say that none of the spectators expected of Yumi to emerge victorious from her second battle.

Most people had thought she would have easily lost against the all rounder that was Tokoyami Fumikage, but the redhead completely shattered their expectations as she advanced to the semi finals. She, a general ed student who hadn't drawn that much attention to herself in the sea of heroes in the making, up until the tournaments was now the talk of the stadium.

And Yumi figured that the whole of class A thought so, too, with how they greeted her when she returned to their section.

"Akano-san," They all looked her over. There weren't any major scratches on her and she didn't look hurt at all.

"Ne, ne, what?! What was that just now?!" Ashido, still grasping onto the adrenaline from watching the redhead's match, described in fascinated awe how amazing it was that she was able to maneuver out of Dark Shadow's swift attacks with her own impressive power.

It was different this time around from when she beat Aoyama because Tokoyami was acknowledged to be one of the strongest in his class, while Aoyama ranked just below the middle.

"That was so amazing, Yu-chan!" Ochako gushed with a bright beaming grin, as well, watching the strings of congratulations being released from her classmates.

"That was a pretty heated fight, it made my blood boil just from watching it!" Kirishima said, flashing his razor-sharp teeth at her in a grin and raising up a 'manly' fist in remark. His enthusiasm, however, was also lined with a thin sheet of veiled anxiety deep down since he knew that he was up against her in the semifinals.

"Congratulations, Akano-san." Yaoyorozu said with a wavering taint to her voice, pursing her lips once she finished speaking. Watching the girl from the general department known as Akano Yumi defeat the opponent she struggled to a pathetic extent with, only added to her feelings of inadequacy. She, a recommended student should have shown her worth during this event, but she failed everyone including herself.

"That was an outstanding performance."

Caught by surprise at the foreign class's words of encouragement, Yumi could only humbly nod her at them as she muttered an assertive, "Thank you."

She said nothing further because seeing that with Tokoyami following behind her, any bragging of her victory would be zealous.

"You were a formidable opponent." Said the raven-headed male with a polite tone, gracefully having come to terms with his defeat.

With a small smile, Akano replied. "Likewise."

Once the two began to make their ways to their seats, a chatter commenced amongst the class A students.

"Still, I really thought Tokoyami would win." Sero said louder than he intended to, and he was sure that Akano was close enough to hear him.

"Not me." Kaminari shook his head boisterously, imagining that sparkles were radiating off of his as he attempted to charm the red-haired girl with a lie. "Tokoyami may seem invincible, but I knew you'd win all along, Akano-chan!"

"Your pants are catching on fire, Kaminari-chan." Tsuyu bluntly said, coolly pointing out that the blonde was lying and that he even went at far as saying he would 'comfort' the redhead after she'd lose.

Yumi didn't mind the talk concerning her match though as she sat next to Uraraka and Midoriya. Iida being missing because his match against Bakugou was starting.

As much as people gushed in shock at her display of abilities, Yumi had to admit that she was the most surprised. Not at what she could do, but the fact that she'd finally jumped through that mental block and finally used her 'cursed' powers, on someone nonetheless.

_'I really did it...'_

And just like sea foam in the waves, all of her doubts had faded into oblivion.

It was funny, really. All these years, she'd been holding herself back out of guilt and fear, but it was actually her taking her _own_ advice that she'd ironically given to Todoroki that had given her that one last push to overcome her doubts and try to accept her broken self as is.

"It was a well fought match!" Ochako commented with sparkling admiration for her friend as she looked her over. And Yumi, dragged out of her pondering, hummed in response. "Mm, it really was."

"I was on the edge of my seat the whole time though..." Added Uraraka with a relieved sigh.

The redhead took a second to notice that the two were fashioned in bandages after their matches, Midoriya's being far more aggressive due to his self harming Quirk. They even had patches of gauze stuck on the same cheeks, which she found quite amusing.

"Akano-san, I didn't know you hid such an amazing Quirk." Midoriya said in a calm voice, but the expression of incredibility didn't fade from his face. He had no answers as to why Akano was so incredibly powerful, far outclassing Tokoyami's strong Quirk, but he settled for her drawn out answer.

"It's not like it was my intention to hide it, I was just..." Yumi paused, her lower lip twitching before she shook her head. "Nevermind that- Ah, I see that you have matching bandages." She remarked with raised eyebrows. "That's kinda cute."

At her words, both Izuku's and Ochako's faces reddened considerably and they flailed their arms around as the boy sputtered out nonsense, trying to hide his face as his tongue stumbled over his teeth. Their exaggerated reactions only fueling the red haired telepath's amusement, and then she noted when Uraraka snapped out of her embarrassment once Present Mic's announcement was made.

"Iida-kun's match is starting!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The brunette was rooting for her bespectacled friend, especially after she'd lost to Bakugou in her first and last match, but she knew that the latter was a tough one to beat.

Uraraka's agitated state drew Akano's attention to the tournament stage, watching as Iida and Bakugou entered it while the blazing flames of the torches ignited at its corners.

Yumi came to know that Iida's insane speed was his strongest points, and if he played it like he did during the cavalry battle, he may just have a chance at intercepting Bakugou before any major attack was drawn out. Bakugou Katsuki was in no way weak or easy to defeat, but that just goes to show the raw capability that Iida had.

However, nothing with Bakugou was simple either, she came to conclude after watching his brutal match with Uraraka.

"Good luck, Iida-kun!" Both Midoriya and Uraraka encouraged in unison.

_"Start!" _

*

"Iida-kun..." Midoriya regretfully mumbled as he and his peers watched the battle's disappointing end.

Bakugou's dominating form was looming over the defeated Iida who inhaled sharply, back pressed against the cold cemented floors as he watched the threatening sparks igniting at the blonde's open palm.

"Iida-kun is immobilized! Bakugou-kun wins!

By no means was Iida weak during this match, in fact he'd showcased some of his finest moves yet. And he even further applied his Ricproburst to his combat style, going as far as to landing a pretty heavy hit on his opponent who was still processing everything under the pressure of his overwhelming speed. The bespectacled male had even devised a solid plan that would allow him to rise on top; it was to use his Ricproburst to quickly immobilize Bakugou and drag him out of bounds before the ten second limit would kick in. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was still outperformed by Bakugou.

The ash blonde was still able to fight on equal grounds with the speedster even while under the effects of his accelerated speed. He had used his bombastic eruption to quickly evade attacks at the last second, waiting and analyzing at that short amount of time just before Iida's engines stalled and he was unable to move. And then it was an easy win for Bakugou.

What was impressive though, was that Bakugou didn't even know of Iida's special move until just now -since he'd only performed it in the cavalry battle against Midoriya and his team- and he still managed to counter it with a calm demeanor. And at that notion, Yumi's ginger brow twitched in realization that she'd underestimated the ash blonde boy...

"Iida, don't mind!" Kaminari shouted out to his bespectacled classmate to alleviate his mood, but he was quickly smacked at the back of his head by Mina. "Hey, don't get our class rep all depressed!"

"People shouted that out to me when I lost." Sero added in, frowning.

"My point exactly." She replied.

_"With those vicious attacks, Bakugou advances to the third round!"_ Present Mic announced as the big screen flashed with the final two match-ups before the final round. _"And that completes the final four!"_

Everyone watched the screen and a few pairs of eyes immediately darted towards Akano, the others to the other redhead that was Kirishima Eijirou. The two were part of the final four- it was down to Todoroki vs. Bakugou and Akano vs. Kirishima.

The crowd was impressed with the lineup; not just because Akano was the only girl of the four finalists, but because she was the _only_ one not belonging to the hero course or even class A to be exact. Those last two fights were to determine who would be competing in the finals, and although people had been looking forward to the Todoroki vs Bakugou match since the beginning, Yumi's latest display had somehow risen her to the top of the metaphorical food chain, in an abrupt fashion. Even now, there was still talk of her and her Quirk that hyped them even further for her next match.

Yumi remained quiet, a neutral expression on her face whilst her upcoming opponent only revealed his razor-sharp teeth in an excited smirk. She could only wonder how her parents must be feeling right now; probably overwhelmed with happiness and pride, clutching each other's hands for dear life so they wouldn't reach out for the phone to call and distract her.

While Kirishima got up, it was her que to prepare to leave, as well. But Yumi stopped for a moment when she heard Ochako speaking to her once more.

"It's really amazing that you've made it this far, Yu-chan..." Her words were genuine, not a hint of jealousy in place as she smiled softly at her taller friend. Just seeing Yumi's face up on that screen right next to Kirishima's, Bakugou's and even Todoroki's made her seem a thousand times more astounding.

"This far, huh?" The redhead replied and Ochako was taken by surprise by the nature of her amused grin that took place on her lips. "I'll be sure to win in this festival." She exclaimed just before standing up, a hand flying to briskly brush her candy-apple colored hair.

Yumi soon made her way out of the seating area, leaving the brunette with slightly widened eyes.

*

_"The first match of the semifinals! It's one between our two redheads!"_

After the two contestants made their big entrances and got on the tournament stage, the crowds couldn't help but cheer wildly.

_"From class C of the general studies -but don't be fooled, she cleared her two previous battles with ease! Akano Yumi!"_ As soon as those words left the Master of Ceremonies' mouth, the shouts of encouragement from the spectators got even louder, psyched after the girl's earlier performance. _"And from 1-A, a boy whose resolve is as hard as his Quirk, Kirishima Eijirou!"_

Kirishima stood proudly still, but Yumi could see through his tough facade and knew that he sustained real damage after his two previous fights. Her bright green eyes observed him from head to toe, her mind already crafting a simple plan as she quickly browsed through his head.

With a quick perk of her ginger brow, Yumi realized that she didn't even need her telepathy in this fight, since she'd already come to an understanding of the fellow redhead. He had a direct personality that showed through his tenacious and upfront fighting style.

"Let's do our best to make it a thrilling fight!" Kirishima loudly exclaimed, cutting through Akano's thoughts as she saw him pump his fist and grin boyishly at her.

She would have returned the friendly gesture if she hadn't heard the thought that ran across his mind when they first stepped onto the stage. Instead, she just smirked in reply.

"_'I'm gonna end this real quick'_, is what you're thinking, right?" There was a playful note in Yumi's voice that reached her eyes, and it seemed to startle her opponent as he blinked owlishly a few times. And if she was being honest, the girl herself was surprised at her own competitive attitude, too. "As you wish."

It wasn't just confidence coursing through her, but a newfound sense of thrill that she had thought was long gone from her existence. Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to ponder on it once Present Mic yelled for them to start.

"_As expected of Kirishima, he wastes no time in attacking!"_

With a heated battle cry, Kirishima lunged towards Akano, quickly hardening his face, fist and torso as he advanced towards her.

_'Just as I suspected...'_ Instead of panicking or even moving from her spot, Yumi watched him run head-on with no plan in mind, and so she waited until he was only a few paces away from her before she extended her hand in front of her in an almost dramatic fashion.

Seeing this, Eijirou's eyes flew open before he abruptly stopped. _'This is bad!'_ Doubt began creeping in and his eyebrows pinched, his face showing his nerves. But before he could retract backwards, the hardened boy was met by a vicious, unseen force that knocked him back.

_"Here it come! Akano immediately counters with her weird Quirk!"_ Witnesses and spectators stared intensely, bracing themselves of what they were sure was to come.

Akano released a soft sigh as she swung her right hand towards the re-approaching figure, launching another wave of a concussive-like energy at him.

The boy cursed under his breath, and the impact threw his body back several feet, but he blocked most of the attack from his face with his hardened arms. He clenched his fists once more before jumping up and sprinting towards her.

Kirishima was yet again so close to touching the red haired girl to attack her with his Quirk, but her reflexes and actions were so quick that she immediately sent another invisible force to propel him back once more. And he stopped himself from tumbling further away, but he was already trying again.

_'Too slow!'_ Yumi swept her arm at the incoming boy once more after he relentlessly got up after every one of her psionic attacks to try again. This time, however she didn't push him back with her telekinesis, but instead enveloped all of her energy stealthily around him before using it to lift Eijirou's body, leaving him with no means of resistance, and tossed his body speedily across the tournament stage.

Kirishima then landed meters away from the out of bounds line with a loud thud, his tough body digging into the cement from the impact as he coughed a big gulp of air.

And thus, Akano Yumi was ensured yet another quick win.

Without even moving.

"K-Kirishima-kun's out of bounds! Akano-san wins!" People would've paid closer attention and been confused at Midnight's uncharacteristic stammer if it weren't for their undying immersion at the outcome of the fight.

"WOAH!"

"She won again!"

Letting her right arm fall by her side, Yumi had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent a wide smile from forming, knowing that if she did, it would be inconsiderate to her defeated opponent. But the satisfied glint that danced in her eyes were beyond her to conceal.

_"Akano earns another impressive win! Now one of our two finalists has been set!"_ Present Mic cheered, enthralled by the young girl's graceful win. However, the dark haired hero sitting beside him in the booth was deadly silent, sullenly mulling over Akano's stats and her performance. _'... Why hasn't she used it before?' _It was so obvious that her telekinesis was versatile and gave her an edge in this tournament, heck it even would've helped her score very highly in the hero entrance exam. '_So why now of all time?'_ Aizawa's bloodshot eyes narrowed analytically at Yumi from afar, seeing her walking towards Kirishima to help him up to his feet.

"Seriously what is up with her, she's too much of a tough opponent..." Sero whined with a childish frown, he and his colleagues were watching intently from their section. Denki was too busy cursing at Kirishima from afar as he saw the beautiful Akano hold his hand and help him up from his wedged state in the cemented floors. The former had a silent blush on his cheeks as he thanked her for help.

"Especially with that teleke-what-not! She's virtually impossible to beat." Ashido Mina added to Sero's remark, sighing boisterously at the end and her loud voice drew more of class A's attention on the conversation, some even violently nodding in agreement.

Meanwhile, Present Mic was getting ready to announce the next match with great enthusiasm. Todoroki and Bakugou both came to be well-known for their superior skill to those of their age, so the battle between them could accurately be described as battle of the elites. Bakugou and Todoroki may have been polar opposites, but when it came to attack strength and advanced technique, they were considered to be the best in their class.

And at Present Mic's loud announcement, the result for the finals was clear. Whether it was Todoroki or Bakugou, the winner would be up against Akano Yumi for the first-place medal.

"So she'll be in the top three no matter what..." Jiro muttered.

"Has there ever been a non-hero student who'd made it this far before?"

"But it makes you wonder, though, why someone like her didn't make it into the hero department..." Tsuyu reasoned, bringing a thought finger to rest against her chin.

What she said made a lot of sense, and it prompted the majority of her classmates to wonder the same thing. Akano Yumi, someone who was at the top of their game, giving perfection a whole new meaning. Her movements were calculated and executed swiftly and flawlessly. Why wasn't she in the hero course?

However, their curiosity increased even more when Uraraka Ochako gave a timid answer.

"Yu-chan didn't apply from the beginning..."

Hagakure was the first to give a rebuttal, voicing out all of their surprise. "Ehh?! Why? Even though she's so strong..."

"For real?" Sato Rikido asked.

Midoriya, was quiet throughout the chatter, jotting down on his notebook the downsides of close-range stricted Quirks like Kirishima's versus ones like Akano's with more long-range moves. But his eyes went wide for a second there and he gasped after hearing Uraraka speak. _'That's true... Akano-san said something like that before.'_

Giving a subversive smile, Ochako rubbed the back of her head, and spoke with a tint of nervousness, not knowing if it was alright to share what her friend had told her. She didn't talk that much and gave off so few reactions to people. It was as if she was meant to be admired from afar. "To be honest, Yu-chan never really told me why. I always wondered, though, because I really wanted to end up in the same class with her."

To Ochako, it always seemed that Yumi wanted to fade into the crowds, that every bit of attention she unintentionally drew to herself was displeasing to her. "But..." She began, her smile widening.

"Now, Yu-chan seems different." As she recalled Yumi's expression and technique, she could tell that they were brimming with spirit. Her face was was screaming 'I'm here!'

"Like she's having fun."

*

Closed off in a small, cluttered room, Shigaraki Tomura watched U.A.'s sports festival with a look of abhorrence. It was the end of the first semifinal round. At the beginning, he had been paying special attention to one person throughout the festival; Midoriya Izuku, the brat with a similar power to All Might, who was the face of the nonsense that is justice and the Symbol of Peace for this superpowered world.

_"Watch carefully and prepare, Shigaraki Tomura," A low voice behind him had said to him during the Midoriya vs Todoroki battle. "They may become obstacles to you one day."__"That's a load of crap," Shigaraki had spat, his hands coming up to scratch at his neck._

But now, after watching this far, there was some other one that started bugging him.

"What is it with this brat?"

With venom building up at the tip of his tongue, he started to scratch his neck more obsessively as he uttered at the television screen. And the serene translucent green eyes that belonged to Akano Yumi were seemingly staring back at him.

"Heh... Not bad." All For One spoke once more, a smirk playing out in the tone of his voice.

_"I want it."_


	24. Twenty One

_"If a man has a conscience, he will suffer for his mistake. That will be his punishment as well as his prison."_

_-CrimePunishment_

_~_

"Todoroki-kun is out of bounds! Which means, Bakugou advances to the final round!" Midnight's dominant voice broke through the sea of gasps that left the audiences as a result of her sedating the young boy with her Quirk.

"Ka-kacchan is your next opponent, huh, Akano-san?" Midoriya gave a short stutter to the seated red haired girl, his deep green irises were practically shaking from the hesitancy of his inquiry.

One look at the unconscious ash blonde on stage who was hypnotized by Midnight after the abrupt end of his match was enough for them to feel a great sense of uneasiness. And it was for a good reason; Bakugou was now technically viewed to be the best of class-A, even if he didn't accept it this way.

"Yu-chan?"

Any other person might have felt intimidated in knowing that Bakugou was to fight them next, especially after his heightened outburst towards Todoroki at the end of their match, but Yumi found herself smiling a bit once she glanced down at the reporters and the constantly flashing cameras, knowing that her parents were watching on the other side of their television.

Yumi pushed all the mixed emotions she'd felt during the fight that Todoroki ended up giving up on, knowing all too well how the internal struggle within him was not as easily solved as he thought. Shouto had needed time to adjust to the power that he had cursed and refused for his whole life before he could truly accept it and utilize it as his own person. And that was something Yumi knew from experience.

_'I promised to make my parents proud, so come at me, Bakugou.'_

*

_"Sorry for the wait, but it's finally the last battle of the U.A. High School sports festival! The top of the first years will be decided with this one match! The final, so to speak!"_

The winds paused momentarily as if the wind itself was watching with a held breath along with everyone across Japan.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, here comes our next two competitors! ARE YOU READY?!"_

Epic crimson flames were automatically lit from the torches the moment Bakugou and Akano stepped onto the tournament stage simultaneously.

Yumi was standing on the stage where Bakugou stood on the other side. His expression was that of a battle-hungry wolf; the slight twitch of his hands only indicated his readiness for this battle. However, she didn't back down either and displayed a calm and calculating look.

_"From the hero course, **Bakugou Katsuki**! Versus- From the general course, **Akano Yumi**! Who would have thought of this development?!"_

The giant crowd was once again hyped up by the Voice hero as they anticipated the two competitors' appearance. The picture of Akano and Bakugou flashed before the big screen and numerous chatters interweaved in on the cheers.

"This year's first years are all amazing!"

"Yeah, that explosion boy's Quirk is so strong, it's no wonder he made it this far!"

"The girl, too! I underestimated her, but her Quirk is really powerful!"

"I thought she was all just looks at the beginning, but I think she may win this thing!"

People were practically fidgeting in their seats, whether it be in the stadium or within the comfort of their homes. It was a fight that was worth the watch. Akano Yumi, a beauty with both skill and grace that seemed to deserve the right to be within the same department as the rest of the novice heroes. And Bakugou Katsuki, a boy with a talent for severity, but with the vigilance and adeptness of a veteran. However from the murmurs emerging from the crowds, it seemed that she'd certainly left a stronger impression by overturning the mood, emerging from being unknown to ending up in the finals.

Bakugou's eyes were trained on Akano, unmoving but dangerously intense before he spoke.

"Yo, extra."

She returned the gaze with an aloof nature, perking her shapely brows at him as if silently asking him what he wanted.

The tension between the two was palpable to everyone present, especially to the ash blonde's classmates.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Kaminari asked, leaning in closer as if he could listen better.

Kirishima clenched his fist, excited to see the fight go down between his talented friend and the intrepid girl who'd justdefeated him. "They must be talking about all the hardship they endured to get to the finals. How manly!"

"How unlikely..." Jiro said with a deadpan.

Meanwhile, Midoriya stared down at the two contenders with slight apprehension. "Kacchan versus Akano-san..." The two never held a conversation before to his knowledge. So he wasn't sure how this match will go since his childhood friend was so determined to achieve an indisputable victory. And with how strong Akano was; the blonde was finally getting his chance now for a serious fight. Will it be Akano's win or Bakugou's?

No one could deny that both of them were strong and a lot more capable fighters than most, but being the over-analyzing fanboy that he was, he couldn't help but run the scenarios through his mind.

"You know, we had a talk about how amazing she is, but I'm still a little worried about Akano-chan," Kaminari said as he held in a shiver. "Bakugou's way too smart and he likes to go after people's weaknesses. That's just how he is."

"That's true," Sero piped after the electric boy with a thoughtful look, but his face scrunched slightly. "If you really think about it though... Doesn't Akano do the same thing? Y'know, because she's a _mind reader_?"

"You're not wrong..." The whole class realized.

_'Good luck, Yu-chan! I'm rooting for you!'_ Ochako clenched her fists in a silent prayer.

Bakugou's glare at the silent girl intensified even further if it was possible. "You're from the general studies, right? I don't know how you got this far, but I'm not holding back." He growled, before moving to crackle his fingers. It was obvious that his pride was wounded after going all out in a fight with someone who basically forfeited with his actions. Todoroki refused to use his left side against him, and instead did it with Midoriya, as if acknowledging that damn nerd and giving Bakugou a huge middle finger to his face. Or at least that's how Bakugou took it.

"It's nothing personal, but I'm really frustrated right now." He added, smirking at the end.

Though that smirk was quickly replaced with displeasure when he realized that his opponent had her eyes closed, not even bothering to respond. "Oi, are you even listening, Extra?!"

A huff of frustration immediately left Yumi's lips, her green eyes meeting with his as if she was finally acknowledging his presence. "I'm soaking in the atmosphere of my final battle. Think you could quit flapping your gums?"

Indignation flashed in those crimson eyes, and he screamed between grinded teeth. "WHAT DID YA JUST SAY, YOU SHITTY WOMAN?!"

_'Hint: he really is easy to rile up.'_ A smile didn't even have the time to draw on Yumi's lips as Present Mic abruptly spoke up.

_"START!"_

To everyone's disappointment, there was a moment of hesitation on both sides, neither rushing to make the first move.

_'Not heading first, huh? Smart.'_ Yumi took a prepared stance, knees slightly flexing with her mind cleared out. He looked like he was observing her, analyzing her every move before making his. However, the moment her right hand suddenly began raising upwards, most likely making its way to her temple, Bakugou rushed towards her, alarmed by her ability to confuse her opponents.

Then the battle began in a blur.

Yumi almost flinched at his immense speed, not even giving her a chance to enter his head. Her mind began to sift rapidly through different thoughts as the two of them faced each other with a fair number of yards between. She wasn't scared, but her stomach was churning with long lost excitement.

_'I really missed this-'_ she stopped her thoughts immediately and shifted to managing the situation. Bakugou was fast, he hit hard, and he was good at range. He was dangerous up close _and_ further away. Her telepathy was slow to fire off and she knew that he knew that.

She had to stay a few steps ahead of him because that's what he was going to try to do with her. And with that notion, the reincarnated redhead abruptly extended her arm, focusing the psionic energy within her on the ash blonde boy. Her closed fist quickly turned into an outstretched palm as she began to blow Bakugou away -much to his surprise.

"_Akano tries to deal a blow right away! Is she trying to avoid close combat with Bakugou? Will the winner be decided already?!"_ Present Mic shouted, watching as the boy suddenly lost control over his body as he was lifted and almost thrown out bounds.

"Damn it!" Bakugou, however, didn't take Akano's attack lying down but instead, he immediately ignited a huge explosion from both of his palms, propelling himself forwards.

Yumi's lips parted, her brows scrunching as she strained to push him out mid-air, but his blast was too powerful to resist. _'What the-'_

_"Th-this is...!"_ Present Mic's voice boomed at the unnatural sight of the boy floating above the air before he forcibly descending once again.

"NOT GONNA WORK ON ME, YOU EXTRA!" Bakugou growled, noticing that he was gradually regaining control over his body, and he didn't waste anytime to close the distance between them with another explosion before she could retaliate.

Triumph. That's what Bakugou was seeking. A whirlpool of emotions striking at eternity. All of his desire for dominance, his competitiveness, his hostility, all aimed straight at the target that was her.

Bakugou neared her and zeroed in on her torso with his arms out. _'You're wide open!'_

Faces paled for Uraraka, Midoriya, and the majority of the students in the class A section. Even Shinsou, who was sitting amongst his classmates, literally on the edge of his seat as he clenched at the insides of his pocket.

A giant blast blew up before her and the impact didn't affect her body due to the force field she'd created in the last second, and black smoke littered with fiery orange sparks surrounded her, dissipating to show Bakugou's bewilderment.

"Wha-?!"

Yumi stood tall and unharmed behind the invisible wall she generated that protected her from the boy's attack. '_Finely tuned bodily control and an obsession with victory.'_ She watched him click his tongue with scrutiny, noticing the disgruntled expression that took permanent residence on his face.

"I'm only getting started!" He screamed before attacking once more, but all of his explosions were nullified by the invisible, rippling field of protection. Meanwhile, Akano looked aloof, her eyes distant... '_Just like that half and half bastard. She's pissing me off!'_

"_Things are heating up!"_ The audience had to agree as they kept watching with intrigue.

The sound of explosions was ever-present as the battle drew out between the two competitors on stage. Bakugou was relentless with his attacks, but Akano didn't showed any weakness against his explosions as she carried out her own defenses with her durable force fields that rendered his blasts null.

'_I knew it... She can't do her mind tricks while utilizing her telekinesis at the same time!'_

The light from his palms glowed brightly, mesmerizing even, but they didn't ease Yumi's inevitable exhaustion that grew as he kept attacking her force field.

"What do you think, Eraser?" It was one of those rare moments where Hizashi didn't speak directly into the microphone as he pouted, searching for any kind of expression from his friend.

In all honesty, the rowdy blonde teacher was concerned for the girl. It wasn't as if he viewed her as weak, but it was more of the fact that Bakugou Katsuki was too ruthless. He feared that it would end up as another unfortunate match-up. And with Akano being the dark horse of the event, like many others, he couldn't help but root for her.

The battle had gone on for a few good minutes with Bakugou and Akano in close-range combat. Katsuki once again made the ring look like a hazard zone with cloudy smoke with his explosions, but he was being extra careful. And Yumi was getting away with no damage as she looked to be accustomed to his moves while still learning new ones on the way as she blocked all of his attacks with her telekinesis.

The Erasure Hero watched in silence. The girl seemed to be testing the blonde out. Her every move was calculated and he had no doubt she had some sort of plan in mind. Aizawa then glanced at Present Mic again, whose frown grew deeper due to the lack of reply, and faced forward again only muttering, "Just keep watching." And his illusive commentary seemed to work.

Bakugou gasped, brow cinched and perspiration glistening along the side of his face. '_She's...totally unfazed.'_ His upper limbs hurt from the furious swinging at her impenetrable field of protection, but that was nothing in comparison to the burning ache threatening to form within his wrists.

"Kacchan stopped attacking?"

"You can't be serious now... She actually delayed Bakugou's attacks? He's not invincible after all," Kaminari blanched. He was half admiring the girl and half fearing for her life. The look on Bakugou's face was deadlier than anything he's seen yet.

Uraraka was about to comment something as well when she turned towards Midoriya and found him mumbling wildly to himself. Watching the intense combat battle between the two below really got his mind turning for future references. "Deku-kun is fired up!" She chuckled.

The second he'd stopped attacking with his explosions, Yumi put down her wall and swung her right arm up, flexing her digits as she pushed him back with a concussive force. Her green irises akin to those of a raptor, like she'd been waiting for this moment. _'It's not like I'm the only one with an agenda here. He keeps on attacking as if he knows I can't use my telepathy and telekinesis at the same time... However-'_

Even through his shock, Bakugou was able to land on his feet a few meters away, his vermilion eyes were bloodshot from the fury of her strike. _'You bitch...!'_

Yumi raised both of her arms up slowly as she spoke. "Just because I kept using my powers on people doesn't mean I can't use it on objects."

Following her own remark, she looked to the ground and smirked. Dozens of blown up pieces of cement that were lying on the ground now suddenly levitated and were suspended in the air. It was painfully obvious to her that she was out of practice, and she fully regretted it once she realized that much like an unused muscle, she was straining to utilize her atrophied power. But it was always easier to manipulate objects than people who resisted her psychokinesis.

"I'm borrowing your idea, Ochako!" Just like Uraraka, Yumi was intent on using Bakugou's explosive properties as weapons against him. Said girl-like everyone else in the audience _and_ Bakugou- was taken aback at the sight.

The enormous amount of rocks floating under the redhead's control were a sight to behold. But this time, those 'weapons' weren't falling randomly like a meteor shower, but at Yumi's signal, all began surging forwards towards Bakugou with a flick of her wrist at an enormous speed.

"DAMN IT!" Bakugou looked straight ahead at the surging shower of debris and raised his left palm up while bracing it with his right. He let out a deep breath and focused all his energy on his one palm. There was barely enough sweat gathered from continuously heating up his hands to evade and counter the girl's relentless attacks for him to pull this off.

Firecracker-like sparks traveled up his entire arm before an enormous explosion blasted from his palm up towards the debris, the force and extent of the blow immediately obliterated the large rocks into smithereens.

"You shitty woman, it didn't work before, it ain't gonna work now!" He said as the black fog cleared slowly to reveal his smoking hand. Internally, he winced from the pain shooting up his palm.

'_Bingo_' She thought as she pinpointed Bakugou's location. Using the smoke screen along with her telepathy as an opportunity to conceal her body, she quickly got into action.

"Don't underestimate me!" Bakugou shouted as he swung his right hand towards the emerging figure within the smoke, until he abruptly paused. '_She disappeared?!'_

"What's with you, Bakugou?! She's right there in front of you!" Kirishima argued from his seat, passionate enough as if his friend could hear him.

_"A DIRECT HIT!"_ Present Mic had exclaimed, his undertone displaying a little too much glee after Yumi landed a high kick on Bakugou's face that knocked him him back. Akano had utilized her telekinesis, and the air around her had shifted before she propelled forward and created a massive slash.

_Drip._

Katsuki's eyes widened when he realized what just happened. That extra. That no-name class nobody just landed a hit on him that made blood seep through his nostrils. How dare she-

"You bitch... You'll pay for that!" Shouted an indignant Bakugou with a look that promised imminent retribution. Vermilion eyes squeezing themselves shut and his hands twitching sporadically.

They both collectively let out a pent up sigh at the same time, but Yumi could tell as she stared at him that her opponent was far more tired than she was, as per her plan. Her, on the other hand, it was as if there was a correlation between the amount of power she used and the angst accumulating and lashing out from her guilt. But she chose to ignore that.

Bakugou gritted his teeth, clamping his palm down on his forearm like a vice. It was seizing up much more intently now.

"Is your wrist okay?" Yumi asked in an uncharacteristically chirpy tone, purposefully taunting him. "Is it the recoil from _too much_ large scale use?"

Bakugou's bloodshot eyes peeled back open.

It finally made sense.

She was aiming at making him overuse his explosions so he'd delay his attacks long enough for her to have time to enter his head and play her mind tricks on him.

"So that's what you were going with..." A muscle popped in Bakugou's locked jaw and his stare was a mix of rage and astonishment. "DON'T YOU UNDERESTIMATE ME, YOU EXTRA!"

"You say that constantly, but _you're_ the one who underestimated me from the beginning." Yumi pointed out, her features scrunched up as she almost shook her head in disapproval.

She could tell that all this time he was lunging at her, seeking victory, all he was looking at was Todoroki and figuring out a way to exact his revenge on him for throwing their fight. "Using this fight to vent your frustrations, cut the bullshit."

With a low grumble, Bakugou looked down at the stage floor, biting the inside of his cheeks enough to draw blood. "You're right..." He said in a sotto voce. '_Not only does her quirk allow her raw strength and resistance to my attacks, she's also very able-minded and fast at changing strategies.'_ It was like something flipped inside of him, and then an almost amused snarl stretched his lips.

"Then how about this-" Bakugou got back into battle stance at her willpower and started running towards her. Another snapping pop filled the air as he smirked widely. "DIE!"

"Die?"

Yumi noticed quickly the ball of light he was beginning to form in his hands as he slowly outstretched them. "Shit." She cursed lowly.

"STUN GRENADE!"

Bakugou fired off the Stun Grenade and at the last second Akano forced her hands forward in front of her. She knew he was quickly closing the distance between them now as she focused on blocking the Stun Grenade he'd fired at her.

In that moment of distraction, Yumi had pulled the barrier down and, being as ruthless as he was, Bakugou swiftly prepared a brunt attack.

"You're going down now!" He howled, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Shaking, Akano did her best to push herself back and out of the way as he swiped at her with hard punches and mini explosions. It was evident that her earlier tactic had really pissed him off.

An abrupt soft crackling sound came from behind her, but she was unable to turn and find the source with his painful, explosive grip on her arm keeping her locked in place.

"Too slow!" Bakugou growled before dealing another explosion her way. He then proceeded to come up at her from the other side. "Take this!"

**_BOOM!_**

One more eruption. And another. He was so fast and aggressive that there was no given commentary, the audience and crowds were as silent as a crypt as they watched the girl who was favored to win get attacked by a barrage of angry explosions.

She panted heavily trying to calm her heart rate down, Almost not catching enough oxygen. Akano could feel Bakugou's explosions getting more and more destructive after each fire.

_'He's not stopping...!'_ Yumi began to internally panic, her eyes slamming shut underneath her furrowed brow. Bakugou moved with ease. He had the technical expertise of a highly skilled veteran and the ongoing energy rush of a ten-year old snorting sugar. _'I have to win...!'_

She was having a difficulty pulling herself back together, not even having time to put up any sort of distance between them to manage the situation. It wasn't like she was too weak to face him, because Jean was pretty damn powerful when she needed to be. But she's been trained for so long by Xavier to hold back that it has become second nature for her to do so.

And then something just clicked within her.

"Is that all ya got, huh?!" Bakugou hissed, his jaw locking in place as he barred his teeth in a snarl, flashing her a glimpse of his anger before a fleeting look of trepidation passed over his face when his eyes met with hers.

Stillness. This is what she radiated more than anything else. The stillness of night. _That_ foreboding aura of hers was all the warning Bakugou received of the imminent threat of her oncoming attack.

_"Bakugou is suddenly thrown across the stage with too much force for him to retaliate?!"_

Yumi said nothing after she flung the ash blonde meters away from her, her burnt right arm falling limply by her as she watched him jump up in alarm.

"What did you-?!" He stopped mid-speech, feeling as if the gravitational force was increasing around him, the ground shook beneath his feat almost tripping him over.

As he eyed her closely. He could see it. The coldness that surrounded her form. And her eyes were glassed over with a numb harshness that he was too proud to say intimidated him.

_'It's like she's a different person'_

"What the hell is going on?" The spectators wondered with peak curiosity once they noticed the floor of the tournament stage and the area surrounding it cracking as if under the pressure of an earthquake.

"_The platform's falling apart!"_ Present Mic spoke up with a slack jaw. _"Akano is about to completely turn the match around again! To think she is undoing Cementoss' hard work on the ring! How exciting!"_

Bakugou, however, didn't wait around for her to make another move and made a big swoop, but he was forced to stop once he glimpsed from his periphery something heading at him from the left.

**_CRASH!_**

"What the- is that a TV screen?!" Bakugou was dumbfounded for a second there as he watched one of the gigantic screen that was once on top of the stadium now completely shattered a few feet from him.

It didn't stop at that, though. Once he got a good look around him, he held back a shiver once he saw a myriad of objects suspended above him. Rubble, the other screens, billboards hung up from the sponsoring support companies, practically anything that wasn't bolted down was now ought to get him.

_"Hey, be careful with those, they're expensive!"_

"That's way too much!"

"Is that even allowed?!" One of the Pro Heroes expressed his surprise all too loud, but his inquiry was quickly answered by the refs.

"It's allowed!"

The oohs and ahhs from the audience were left unheard by the deadly silent redhead as she lifted her other arm and commanded the debris to shoot towards Bakugou, his face akin to a dear caught in the headlights at the moment.

**_WHOOSH!_**

**_BAM!_**

**_CRASH!_**

The multitude of objects kept crashing at Bakugou and he countered them with his explosions that were already weakening from overuse. _'I need to get to her!'_ He struggled to get closer, knowing that if he were to manhandle her, she wouldn't be able to attack him.

"DAMN IT!"

Glass shrapnels managed to evade the boy's bombing and headed towards him causing multiple cuts. While the pieces of rubble that he did shatter with his explosion ended up lifting back up, the smaller pieces reforming to make larger ones that kept on charging at him incessantly.

With how viciously Yumi was attacking Katsuki right now, it almost seemed like she didn't care if he got seriously injured or not. It was as if her body had dissociated from her empathetic mind, that powerful subconscious of hers taking full charge of her actions.

Akano swept her arm at the incoming boy once more as he relentlessly got up after every one of her projectiles to try again. Her sharp eyes were intently tracking his every movement as she sent more debris down his way. It eventually became too much for Bakugou to blow up and one of the large pieces of rubble caught up to him, crashing onto his side, the force causing him to recoil back, most probably fracturing a few ribs.

_"Akano Yumi from the general studies has gotten the better of Bakugo Katsuki from the hero course! Who would've imagined this?! Will the bottom really overthrow the top?!"_

"That Bakugou-"

Class A were more than shocked at what just happened, not just at Akano's great strength but the fact that-

"Kacchan is down...?" Midoriya openly gaped, standing up to get a closer look. He was still conscious and moving, albeit only his digits were flinching.

The ash blonde tried to get up, but the moment he did, a thick crimson fluid spouted from his mouth in a gush, the scene doing something to the girl standing before him.

_'Is he... Is that blood?'_

With a snap, Yumi realized what she's done. It was at this moment that she finally took in Bakugou's battered form like she was seeing it for the first time.

"W-what..." She stuttered, her hand moving to cover her quivering lips.

Then, all at once the dam she had built around herself was cracked at the heart, drowning her in her pent up feeling. It felt as though all her emotions had come crashing down against her in one single action. Her body surging with anxiety, fear, rage. All those negative emotions were collectively welling up within her.

A sharp pain shattered through Yumi's skull, like a shard of glass penetrating through it and reaching into her brain. She shuddered, white spots appearing in her vision and her face scrunched at the spiking ache.

Yumi released a short breath, feeling a familiar heat rising in her head and replacing the throbbing pain.

_"Oi, oi, look alive, Akano! The fight's not over yet!"_

The Master of Ceremonies shouted out to the girl, but she heard none of it because all that filled her ears was the sound of people, people she hurt around her screaming and whimpering. Her eyes clenched shut as both her mother's and Raven's death played on repeat in her pounding head. Her hands ran through the roots of her tangled hair, and her fingers roughly clenched them. Her nails scraped painfully against her scalp, but the emotional pain she was feeling was flawlessly outweighing the physical. _Either way, pain was unavoidable. _

"Yu-chan?"

"Is that a drawback from her Quirk?"

Witnesses and spectators stared in both shock and confusion at what was happening.

Yumi's mind whimpered as pain drove through her head. Every thought she had became confused, the guilt manifested itself into physical pain that filled her body. And a sob threatened to escape her lips.

'_Akano_...' Todoroki had watched the entire battle even after the injuries he sustained in his earlier fight. In the beginning, he was both surprised and impressed at what the red haired girl could do, but now as his heterochromatic eyes flickered on her form, he felt a pang in his chest. The look on her face was something he painfully recognized. Shouto could practically see the burden of her past weighing down on her hunched shoulders right now, however, not fully understand what it was that drove her to this state. And he bit on his lower lip as he silently wondered to himself.

"You little..." Bakugou struggled to get back on his feet, feeling like they were heavier than ever as he shuffled, heading for her. "Oi!" He called out to her but to no avail.

The flash of anger on Bakugou's face morphed back into excitement. '_Heh_...' He concentrated his power in his cramping palms. Uraraka and Todoroki may have come close to testing his limit, but Akano had done it. '_This... This is what I wanted-!'_

The girl in question though, didn't even note that he was fast approaching, suddenly feeling lightheaded and her legs turned to jelly. In that moment, it didn't take long for Akano to realize; she had failed to change. She'd lost control. She harmed another person because of her psychic powers.

The feeling that she would never be able to conquer herself...

The myriad of emotions that passed on her face from shock to confusion to a hint of fear was not missed by the ash blonde, but he was reluctant to care as he charged at her once more.

"Listen here! Until you've completely subdued your enemy, you shouldn't stop attacking!" Bakugou growled, igniting a huge explosion from both of his palms dedicated to the distracted girl. His voice was still as gruff as ever, even going a few decibels louder as he refused to succumb to his injuries.

A giant blast blew up before Yumi, but the impact didn't affect her body due to the force field she'd created last minute.

This was Yumi's meager attempt at resistance towards herself.

He screamed before attacking once more, but all of his explosions were nullified by the invisible, rippling field of protection.

She gasped, brow cinched and perspiration glistening along the side of her face, her head no longer in the game anymore.

_"U-Unbelievable! They're still continuing the match!"_

The sound of explosions persisted as the battle drew out between the two competitors on stage. Bakugou was relentless with his attacks, despite his major injuries, going as far as backing Yumi to a corner.

"What wrong, huh? Are you running away?!" Bakugou shouted through another one of his explosions and jumped out from the black smoke that it caused straight to Yumi with his other palm popping. "Get serious and come at me!"

Akano dodged his incoming blow and tried to kick him away, but he jumped back to avoid the impact. She didn't know where to direct her emotions. She was overwhelmed, her powerlessness born from contradictions. Reliving the truth only increased her fear of her overpowered abilities and added more fuel to the inferno swirling inside of her.

_"He hits again, and again, and yet again! He's not going to stop!"_

"Not enough!" Bakugou begrudgingly said whilst attacking with a raging flurry of blows. "I'm still not done!"

The ash blonde's comeback only served to hype up the crowds further, they were now practically on their feet, cheering for them to go for the championship.

"That's it!"

"Fight more!"

"Finish this!"

A loud buzzer suddenly interrupted their combat, it had erupted the moment Midnight crossed her arms in an 'X' shape before speaking.

"Akano-san..." Midnight started the call.

Everyone then shot their eyes towards Bakugou, who was covered by dust of rubble he'd disintegrated during her previous attacks. He wiped away the sweat mixed with a bit of blood from the cut on his face with the back of his hand. No one could see his hands tremble but himself.

Meanwhile, leaning against a pile of broken cement to keep herself standing, Yumi was breathing hard. She had managed to escape the final explosion at the last second by stepping back, her feet inches past the or of bounds line.

"...Is out of bounds, so Bakugou-kun wins!"

"Huh?" The boy uttered under his breath, his eyes blown wide when he looked for himself and confirmed that Akano was indeed out of bounds.

_"Bakugou Katsuki emerges as the victor! What a truly anticlimactic end to a thrilling fight!"_

The stadium began shaking as the final victor was announced from the last match. And with that, the sports festival was thus concluded.

It was a good thing that all the screens were utilized and shattered by Yumi during their combat, otherwise everyone in the stadium would have gotten a closer look to Bakugou's, displeased, scowling face.

"Like I give a shit about that! I'm still not done!" He gruffly said, his sore arm pointing back and forth between Akano and Midnight. "Another round!"

"That's enough, Bakugou-kun!" The first year's Umpire disciplined, swinging her whip before she descended down the stairs to reach the two of them.

_"And now, all of the events have been completed! The winner of this year's_

_first-year U.A. sports festival is from Class A, Bakugou Katsuki!"_

"Hey, the winner is more beat up than the one who lost."

"That doesn't make any sense..."

Hearing people commenting on the end of their battle, Yumi blinked a few times once she realized, _'I lost...'_

She held back a bitter chuckle, moving to scratch her itchy nose and paused to inspect her finger after she did. '_My nose is bleeding?'_ Her eyes widened, wiping the rest of the blood trickling from her nose.

"Maybe because I haven't used my Quirk to this extent before..." She mumbled, and hearing her words, Bakugou flinched.

_'Serves me right.'_ The redhead scrutinized herself, her eyes draping half-closed as she let her lips press lightly together. She had no right to feel bad about losing. After all, she must've had the lower amount of true resolve than anyone else in this tournament, constantly doubting herself and always backing down when it mattered. If she had properly trained herself before the sports festival, she might not have lost control mid-way, and she could have won without breaking down on live television. Alas, this was the result of her actions.

In Mr. Spock's words, it was the logical outcome.

Katsuki watched her keenly like a hawk, eyes burning into her very soul. He resisted the medical bots that tried to take him away to Recovery Girl, almost crashing them against each other in anger.

Akano didn't just feel bad about herself, she also felt worse about the opponent she was up against, which is why she actually stopped on the middle platform of the staircase when she heard him call her name. Well, not actually by name-

"OI! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Bakugou's voice hued with menace, his breathing sharp as he clenched his fists.

She looked back to him, her eyebrows perking. "Now, that's rude."

"What..." He gritted his teeth. The outcome of this battle was nowhere near satisfactory, but that wasn't what made his blood boil. This Akano. She was strong. Her quirk was _really_ strong. She almost beat him. But she somehow ended up in some no-name class?

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING ALL THIS TIME?!" With that piercing contempt, his voice was digging into her ears very cruelly, causing a pang of shame to infiltrate her chest. She looked down, unable to answer him, and that seemed to piss him off even further.

"Now, now, Bakugou-kun, settle down or I'll end up putting you down again." Midnight cooed, but her words held a threatening gleam.

"Huh?! Don't you dare do that again!"

_'Put him down... What is he, a wild hound?'_ The redhead sweat dropped before heading back inside, her head hanging low.

_"All right! We'll be back soon after our champion gets all healed up, so stay tuned for the Award Ceremony!"_

**A/N:-**

**Hey guys! Long time no see For those of you who don't know, I've been on hiatus due to the electricity crisis that my country has been going through. And even though it's not completely sorted out, I've decided to try my best to bring out as many updates as I can for the time being.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was long overdue **


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